Park Dae-chul "President Should Exercise Veto if Broadcasting Act Passes National Assembly"

Analysis of KBS1 Radio Cast During President's US Visit
Kim Ki-hyun Calls for "Fair Broadcasting" at MBC Seminar

Park Dae-chul, the Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, stated on the 1st regarding the amendment to the Broadcasting Act for the reform of public broadcasting governance, which was directly submitted to the National Assembly plenary session led by the Democratic Party of Korea, “If the amendment to the Broadcasting Act passes the National Assembly, the President should rightfully exercise the right to request reconsideration (veto).”

Chair Park made this remark during the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, saying, “It is not an exaggeration to say that some left-wing media are manipulating KBS Radio.”

Park Dae-chul, Chairman of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party (Photo by Yonhap News)

Chair Park explained, “Yesterday, the Korea Federation of Journalists and the KBS Broadcasters’ Union analyzed which guests appeared on KBS1 Radio during President Yoon Seok-yeol’s five-day visit to the United States, and the results were posted on KBS’s internal bulletin board. The outcome was shocking,” adding, “Among five current affairs programs, 80 guests mainly expressed left-wing or opposition-friendly views, whereas only 11 guests expressed right-wing or government and ruling party-friendly views.”

He continued, “I believe that no one should face restrictions on broadcasting appearances simply because they hold left-wing or right-wing views, but public broadcaster KBS has the duty to report opposing views in a balanced manner,” emphasizing, “This is especially true when there are politically sensitive issues such as the President’s visit to the United States.”

Chair Park further stated, “Now the public understands more clearly why the Democratic Party is desperately trying to pass the amendment to the Broadcasting Act. The amendment is a trick by the Democratic Party to indirectly seize control of broadcasting by using the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and related organizations,” adding, “Public broadcasting must be free not only from political power but also from union power. The public can no longer tolerate broadcasting control by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ media union.”

Party Leader Kim Ki-hyun, upon hearing Chair Park’s remarks, commented, “Judging by the content, the severity seems to have gone far beyond the limit,” and said, “I believe responsible measures must follow.”

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is giving a congratulatory speech at the 'MBC Reform Plan Seminar' held at the National Assembly on the 1st. (Photo by Yonhap News)

Additionally, Leader Kim delivered a congratulatory speech at the ‘Current Status and Reform Measures of MBC’ seminar held that afternoon at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, hosted by the MBC Labor Union (the third union) and Park Sung-joong, the ruling party’s ranking member of the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, calling for “fair broadcasting.”

Leader Kim criticized, “MBC always reminds me of the slogan ‘A friend you want to meet.’ There was a time when it was a broadcaster that the public sought out,” adding, “However, over the years, the internal situation at MBC has increasingly become like ‘a friend you don’t want to meet.’”

Leader Kim also emphasized, “If political bias increases in the news and current affairs sectors, many citizens will inevitably judge MBC as biased and serving only the interests of a specific group,” urging, “I hope MBC returns to the fundamental spirit of broadcasting and restores its original mission.”

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