KOREA: Media bills approved at National Assembly

Opposition lawmakers abstained from vote in protest of Grand National Party's unilateral voting process

The Korea Times
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The National Assembly Wednesday approved media bills put forward by the governing Grand National Party amid tough confrontation.

It took nearly seven months for the legislature to pass the bills that would pave the way for newspapers companies and big business groups to enter the broadcasting market because of fierce oppsition from the opposition parties.

The voting for the controversial bills was attended only by lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) as opposition lawmakers refused to participate in protest against the unilateral voting process.

Opposition lawmakers accused the government of attempting to rein in domestic media organizations.

Earlier, the GNP declared an end to the protracted negotiations and asked the National Assembly speaker to use his authority to call a vote.

GNP floor leader Ahn Sang-soo and his counterpart from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) Lee Kang-rae had a seven-hour meeting Tuesday but they failed to find a compromise.

After the talks failed, Ahn told GNP legislators to secure a path for Assembly Speaker Kim to reach his seat at the main Assembly hall.

About 100 GNP lawmakers quickly formed a human barricade around the speaker's podium.

The proposed revision seeks to allow ownership of broadcasting companies by newspapers and businesses, a measure the government claims will help create tens of thousands of jobs and significantly improve the competitiveness of the country's media industry.

The main opposition party says it will only undermine the independence and diversity of news outlets, as only a handful of newspapers have the financial resources to launch broadcasting services. Critics also say the revision is a government attempt to streamline and control the media.

The GNP controls 169 seats in the 299-seat parliament, enough to unilaterally pass the bill.

Date Posted: 7/22/2009