Home > National > Politics

National Assembly, led by DP, passes contentious broadcasting bill

Published: 21 Aug. 2025, 14:02

The National Assembly passes an amendment to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act during a plenary session on Aug. 21, despite a boycott by People Power Party lawmakers. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

The National Assembly on Thursday passed one of three controversial broadcasting bills aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters, with the ruling Democratic Party (DP) railroading the bill despite objections from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

During a parliamentary plenary session, the amendment to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act passed with 169 votes in favor, one against and one abstention out of 171 lawmakers present.

PPP lawmakers boycotted the vote in protest of the bill.

The legislation is one of three contentious broadcasting bills pushed by the DP that would eventually alter the governance structure of the three public broadcasters — KBS, MBC and EBS — by significantly increasing the number of their board directors and granting media and broadcasting associations.

Under the bill, the number of board members of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, a major shareholder of public broadcaster MBC, will be expanded from nine to 13.

The DP and the conservative PPP have clashed over the legislation, with the PPP arguing that the bills will only increase the presence of progressive figures on the boards of public broadcasters.

The bill was automatically shelved when the July extraordinary session ended at midnight on Aug. 5 after the PPP launched a filibuster to block its passage.

At Thursday's session, the DP, which currently holds a parliamentary majority with 167 out of 298 seats, presented the remaining broadcasting bill — the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act. The PPP immediately launched another filibuster to prevent the vote.

The DP-controlled National Assembly has already passed an amendment to the Broadcasting Act, the first of the three broadcasting bills, earlier this month.

The ruling party plans to propose the so-called "Yellow Envelope Bill," which seeks to broaden labor protections, and a revision to the Commercial Act.

A filibuster involves lawmakers holding the floor for extended periods as a way to prevent a parliamentary vote or delay the passage of a bill. Under the National Assembly Act, a filibuster can be stopped after 24 hours if at least three-fifths, or 180 lawmakers, of all parliament members consent to its termination .

Meanwhile, Choo Mi-ae, a six-term DP lawmaker, was elected to lead the parliamentary Legislation and Judiciary Committee, after her predecessor, Lee Choon-suak, was expelled from the party for triggering public outrage over allegations of stock trading under a borrowed name.

Yonhap