EBS Act Passed in Plenary Session... Opposition Party Unilaterally Passes All Four Broadcasting Laws (Update)

Jae-seok's Party Passes with 189 Votes out of 189 Seats
Ruling Party Holds Protest Rally after Filibuster and Exit
Choo Kyung-ho "Will Recommend Veto to President Yoon"

The ruling Democratic Party and others unilaterally passed the amendment to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act (EBS Act) on the 30th, despite the walkout of lawmakers from the People Power Party.

On that day, the National Assembly passed the amendment to the EBS Act with 189 votes in favor out of 189 members present. As a result, the so-called 'Broadcasting Four Acts,' including the amendment bills to the Korea Communications Commission Act, the Broadcasting Act, and the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act, were all passed in the National Assembly.

Earlier, on the 25th, the People Power Party claimed the Broadcasting Four Acts were a 'law for permanent left-wing control of broadcasting' and conducted a six-day unlimited debate (filibuster). The filibuster on the EBS Act, which began around 8:30 p.m. the previous day, ended at 8:48 a.m. that day with lawmaker Jeong Seong-guk.

After lawmaker Jeong ended the filibuster, ruling party lawmakers protested the forced passage of the bill and walked out, leaving only opposition lawmakers to participate in the vote.

The Broadcasting Four Acts include provisions to change the quorum for the Korea Communications Commission's resolutions from the current two standing members to four, significantly increase the number of directors of public broadcasters such as KBS, MBC, and EBS, and grant the right to recommend directors to media and broadcasting academic societies and related professional organizations.

The People Power Party plans to recommend that President Yoon Seok-yeol exercise his right to request reconsideration (veto) on the Broadcasting Four Acts.

On the same day, immediately after walking out of the plenary session, Floor Leader Choo Kyung-ho stated at a rally held in the National Assembly rotunda, "Since the president exercised the right to request reconsideration and the bill was rejected in the 21st National Assembly, yet the bill was again unilaterally pushed through, the People Power Party will recommend President Yoon to exercise the right to request reconsideration to fulfill its responsibility as the ruling party."

Except for the Korea Communications Commission Act, the other three bills were passed by the opposition alone in the plenary session of the 21st National Assembly, but President Yoon exercised his veto power at that time.

On the 29th, the amendment to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act, one of the "Broadcasting Four Acts," is being submitted at the National Assembly plenary session. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

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