Ruling DP passes second media reform bill, sparks PPP filibuster on final media reform bill

At the parliament on this Thursday.

The main opposition party has launched a filibuster in response to efforts by the ruling party to railroad its final media reform bill.

Our political correspondent Shin Ha-young has details.

The second of three media reform bills aimed at reshaping the governance of public broadcasters has passed the National Assembly.

The ruling Democratic Party on Thursday unilaterally pushed through an amendment to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act to reduce government influence over public broadcasters by increasing the foundation's board from nine to 13 members.

The foundation is the main shareholder of public broadcaster MBC.

Of the 171 votes cast, 169 were in favor, one against, and one abstained, amid a boycott by the main opposition People Power Party.

The bill passed the Assembly last year, but was then vetoed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

It was introduced again by the DP during a plenary session earlier this month, but was not voted on, as the July extraordinary session came to a close following a PPP filibuster.

Following Thursday's vote, the DP brought forward a final media reform bill targeting EBS, again triggering a filibuster by the PPP.

"The bill aims to ensure the Educational Broadcasting System's independence and political neutrality by expanding its board to include experts and representatives from various fields and by improving transparency in selecting its president."

"If we hand over the management and operation of public broadcasting --resources entrusted to us by the people --to those with no mandate, it would betray the trust of the people who gave us authority through representative democracy."

Under the National Assembly Act, a filibuster on each bill can be halted after 24 hours if at least three-fifths of the parliament agrees to do so.

The final media reform bill is expected to be put to a vote immediately after the filibuster ends.

However, no new legislation will be taken up on Friday, as the rival parties agreed not to handle bills on the day of the PPP convention and instead add another session next Monday.

The DP had initially planned to hold plenary sessions from Thursday to Sunday to push ahead with contentious bills left unresolved during the July extraordinary session.

Next in line are the so-called "Yellow Envelope Bill," an amendment to labor union laws and a revision to the Commercial Act, with the PPP also planning to launch further filibusters, arguing the bills are being pushed forward without bipartisan agreement.

Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.