KOREA: Ruling party vows to push media reforms

President Lee wants to allow cross ownership of newspapers and television news channels

The Korea Herald
Tuesday, July 7, 2009

President Lee Myung-bak's ruling conservative party vowed Tuesday to unilaterally pass a controversial media bill next week despite fierce opposition from rivaling parties, according to Yonhap News.

President Lee is seeking legal revisions that would allow cross ownership of newspapers and terrestrial and cable news channels.

Critics oppose the revisions, slamming them as "pro-conglomerate" as only a handful of media outlets have the needed financial resources to move into other media sectors.

Rep. Na Kyung-won, a ranking Grand National Party (GNP) member, said her party will put the bill to vote at the National Assembly culture and media committee by Monday with or without agreement from the main opposition party.

Na met with her Democratic Party (DP) counterpart Jun Byung-hun earlier Tuesday, but failed to iron out differences over the scope and detailed conditions regarding cross-media ownership.

The parliamentary extraordinary session opened on June 26, but committee meetings have been crippled by boycotts and sit-in protests by the opposition party.

Date Posted: 7/7/2009