Tug of War Continues in Science and ICT Committee, Will Today's Meeting Also End in Disruption?

Park Sung-joong, appointed as the People Power Party whip for the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] It has been a month since the second half of the 21st National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Communications Committee (STICC) opened, but a stalemate continues as the ruling and opposition parties engage in a power struggle for political dominance. Despite numerous pending issues related not only to broadcasting but also to information and communication technology (ICT), both sides seem solely focused on fighting over their own turf. With the People Power Party (PPP) continuously declaring 'non-participation,' the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties is likely to persist until the regular September session.

According to the National Assembly on the 24th, the STICC will hold a Budget and Accounts Examination Subcommittee meeting at 10 a.m. and a plenary session at 2 p.m. The Budget Subcommittee plans to handle the 2021 settlement of accounts for the Korea Communications Commission and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, approval of the 2021 supplementary budget expenditure for the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the 2021 settlement of accounts for the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), and the 2021 settlement of accounts for the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS). The afternoon plenary session will address the 2021 settlement of accounts and approval of supplementary budget expenditures for the Ministry of Science and ICT.

However, disruption is anticipated as PPP lawmakers have declared their intention to boycott. PPP members are protesting that Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae is violating the National Assembly Act and unilaterally managing the standing committee. Previously, the STICC held two plenary sessions on July 27 and 29 solely with the Democratic Party. On the 18th, the first introductory meeting was held, but the PPP walked out mid-session in protest against Chairman Jeong's conduct, causing another disruption.

Democratic Party lawmakers remained until the end and formed four subcommittees within the STICC for bill review: the 1st Subcommittee (Science and Technology), the 2nd Subcommittee (Broadcasting and Communications), the Budget and Accounts Examination Subcommittee, and the Petition Examination Subcommittee. The Democratic Party appointed Representative Cho Seung-rae as the vice-chairman of the 2nd Subcommittee.

The Democratic Party can proceed unilaterally because it has secured the quorum for proceedings (one-fifth of the total committee members) and the quorum for resolutions. The National Assembly allocates the number of standing committee members according to the proportion of seats held by each party. Currently, out of the total 20 members of the STICC, 11 belong to the Democratic Party, 8 to the People Power Party, and 1 is an independent lawmaker.

Park Sung-joong, the designated PPP floor leader for the STICC, warned at the party's floor strategy meeting the day before, saying, "Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae deliberately induces disruptions and deceives the public by aiming to convene a half-functioning standing committee. We cannot overlook this. If the Democratic Party insists on holding the 2nd Subcommittee chairmanship, we will propose a resolution recommending Chairman Jeong's resignation." However, Chairman Jeong responded, "I will listen to all complaints, so come to the meeting and speak. There is no consideration for absentee members uninterested in their studies, and the STICC train will depart on time."

The issue the PPP continues to raise by boycotting is the vice-chairmanship of the 2nd Subcommittee. The 2nd Subcommittee deals with the Public Broadcasting Governance Improvement Act, which sets new methods for selecting directors and presidents of public broadcasters. Improving public broadcasting governance requires amendments to the Broadcasting Act and the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act. Currently, the public broadcasting boards are filled with directors recommended by the ruling and opposition parties at ratios of 7 to 4 for KBS and 6 to 3 for MBC. The Democratic Party proposes increasing the number of directors to 25 to minimize political influence. The People Power Party opposes this, claiming the Democratic Party intends to permanently control public broadcasting.

Concerns are emerging that ICT industry issues such as the bill to prevent free-riding on communication networks may be sidelined amid the political fight between the ruling and opposition parties. A telecommunications industry official said, "There are significant pending issues such as platform self-regulation, securing artificial intelligence technology capabilities, establishing governance for cyberattack response, and fostering the metaverse, but there is no interest in the National Assembly. We are waiting for the situation to be resolved quickly so that the STICC can operate normally."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.