"BPCM Act, Previously Vetoed by Yoon, Passes National Assembly Plenary Session"

On August 21, the National Assembly passed the amendment to the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act (BCPA), one of the three broadcasting laws that had previously been scrapped due to President Yoon Suk Yeol's exercise of the right to request reconsideration (veto).

On the 21st, the partial amendment bill of the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act was passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The amendment to the BCPA was approved with 169 votes in favor and 1 against out of 171 members present.

Lawmakers from the People Power Party, who had opposed the bill by staging a filibuster (unlimited debate) against the BCPA on August 5, did not participate in the vote on this day.

The main points of the BCPA amendment are to increase the number of board members of the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation, the largest shareholder of MBC, from 9 to 13, and to have these members appointed based on recommendations from institutions related to negotiating groups in the National Assembly. The BCPA was originally submitted to the plenary session on August 5, but was not processed due to the People Power Party's filibuster and was carried over to the August session.

The amendment to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act (EBS Act), the last of the three broadcasting laws, was also submitted to the plenary session on the same day. The People Power Party immediately began a filibuster, while the Democratic Party of Korea plans to convene a plenary session on the morning of August 22, when the filibuster ends, to process the EBS Act.

On the same day, the National Assembly also passed the motion for the resignation of Lee Choon Suk, chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Instead of a regular vote, the motion was handled by asking members if there were any objections. Lee had left the Democratic Party and submitted his resignation as committee chairperson to the National Assembly on August 5, after allegations surfaced that he had traded stocks under his aide's name. Chu Mi Ae of the Democratic Party was elected as the new chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

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