It's time for your reserved seat. Representative Kim Hyun from the Democratic Party has arrived. Welcome! Hello, nice to see you after a long time. Yes, yesterday's discussion, I'll briefly touch upon it. Were you on-site? Yes, that's correct. Wasn't there much room for negotiation? Well, two days ago, we convened at 2:30 p.m., then extended it to 4:30 p.m., and finally to 7:30 p.m., and eventually reached an agreement through negotiations. We started voting a bit after 9 p.m. and finished around 11 p.m. Ultimately, what we demanded was to hand over the National Assembly's budget and operations committee to the other side, but when it came to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, we couldn't agree. It was impossible because during the administrations of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, the percentage of bill processing in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee was 50%. In the 20th and 21st National Assemblies, when I was the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the processing rate was only around 30 to 40 percent. Ultimately, the 21st National Assembly faced criticism from the public.

It was received a lot, and the minimum requirement for bill processing, but it keeps needing modifications. It was a situation where the earth was shaking, and because of the small number of members, the ruling party had to go through the trial of public opinion. Due to this, each standing committee must pass the bills proposed and there should not be major issues, and they need to be submitted for deliberation. So, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, well, now, the Special Prosecutor's Act, there will be several bills introduced again, and because of that, without going through the process, continuously causing problems, raising dissatisfaction or areas of interest for the people, it would be difficult if the situation is left for the public opinion to dictate the National Assembly's agenda. Therefore, they cannot just hand it over. If they negotiate like that, the current floor leader may face serious issues. Yes, yes. The Democratic Party had no choice but to do this for the bill to be processed. People say it's a dictatorship in the parliament, or they say it's a ruling party dictatorship.

Yes, how to counter it, the term dictatorship for the parliament is not valid because the parliament has 300 seats selected by the people. The opposition party has 192 seats, and the minor opposition has 10 seats. Accordingly, the committees are allocated, including the chairman. However, currently, if they don't get the law committee, they won't submit it and won't participate in the National Assembly, which undermines national governance. It is the responsibility of the people who are in charge of national governance. The term parliamentary dictatorship is not appropriate; the word does not apply. For example, if all 300 seats were held by one party, then it could be a dictatorship. However, the people do not unilaterally support that; there is oversight, balance, and judgment of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration reflected in the general election. It seems that only denying the will of the people is heard, not rejecting the parliament, but handling it according to the National Assembly Act.

The speaker is saying that the director of the Board of Audit and Inspection is coming. In a little while, at 4 p.m., the director will be elected. Oh, once the director is elected, the Democratic Party announced the establishment of the TF for media reform yesterday. The bill being prepared is called the Media Normalization 3+1 Bill. What are the specific contents? We had a second meeting the day before yesterday. We had the second meeting, and now, regarding three laws: the KBS Act, the Korea Educational Broadcasting Act, and the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act. Under the Yoon Seong-yeol administration, there were issues raised about the directors' misuse of their business promotion cards, and KBS has already received audits from the Board of Audit and Inspection, so there are no problems. Also, Park Moon-jin, the chairman, was indiscriminately impeached, which eventually led to a court injunction. Instead of replacing directors with guaranteed terms, they are also driving out the chairmen with guaranteed terms according to their preferences.

In a way that can reduce the width of the political circle, such as electing a chairman and a director, for example, in daily life, right now, there are 7 from the ruling party and 4 from the opposition party. Then, with a structure like 6 to 3, we can increase the participation of civil society, academic societies, media personnel, and viewer committees. This is a diversification example. In Western democratic countries, in the process of resolving these long-standing broadcasting issues within the administration, leading to social consensus, the German-style solution was passed in the 21st National Assembly. Due to the exercise of the veto power by the President, we are now in the process of re-legislating. We, the Democratic Party and the opposition party, plan to handle this law by at least early July. As you mentioned, in the 21st National Assembly, the President's veto power was exercised, so now it has been nullified and is in effect. There have been some changes in the supplementary provisions, such as a period of six months.

One is that the funeral regulations are immediately enforced. The second is to guarantee the term of office of the CEO and not to be able to cut it off arbitrarily, such institutional adjustments, and also to guarantee the term of office of the directors. Along with this, a law has been passed. Once it is passed, the existing directors resign, and a new board of directors is formed to elect the CEO. We have made some institutional changes in this way. He mentioned in early July that the passage of the bill is being discussed. Currently, the ruling party is in a situation where they are not responding to consultations. They are not attending. If they come in, we are willing to negotiate together. Yes, then, do you think the ruling party will come in and stop the boycott of the agenda? What do you think? They won't come in. They won't come in. Because if they don't give the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, there is a reason not to go in. That's why I see what's happening now. In my opinion, yesterday, the chairman elected 11 standing committee chairmen in accordance with the National Assembly Act. Yes, and he asked for a position by the 13th, but it seems that there is still no response.

It seems that it will not be possible. Yes, the new broadcasting three laws are being enforced as a party principle. How do you feel about that? Yes, on the 13th, a policy conference was held in the morning, and even now, at this time, a public hearing is taking place at the National Assembly. I am here because it was deemed necessary to talk about the importance of public broadcasting at the public hearing. After today's public hearing, we will hold a subcommittee meeting at the Korea Communications Commission at 4 p.m., incorporate the discussions from the press TF public hearing at 5 p.m., make final adjustments, and then, through a party conference on Thursday, enforce it as a party principle. On Friday, we will open the Science, Technology, Information, and Communication Broadcasting Committee, discuss there, and proceed. It's a huge task. Indeed, for the first time since the 22nd National Assembly, the opposition and ruling parties are cooperating, and the Broadcasting Three Laws, followed by national investigations, and improving the system of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission's leading role are on the agenda.

Oh, they say that the seventh-degree collaboration is meaningful. How can we give some meaning to that? In fact, now we are in the 19th session. Especially now, with the Broadcasting Act 3, the remaining parties, excluding the People Power Party, are trying to minimize the influence of the political power through the Broadcasting Act 3, and instead of public broadcasting operated according to the government's will, they are trying to improve the system to transform it into a people's broadcasting. It seems meaningful to support this point of view. Perhaps, participating in discussions with the institutional authority, not only in outdoor gatherings but also in the legislative branch, is very important in emphasizing the importance of public broadcasting and the need for media reform in the general election. This is seen as meaningful, not just ending there. Additionally, under the Yoon Seong-yeol administration, there have been discussions on broadcasting scholarships, including MBC, KBS, YTN, and TBS, and the Broadcasting Communication Review Committee.

Although it is a private organization, it is meaningful to discuss and come up with measures together regarding what is happening in government organizations where national budget is being invested. Currently, the opposition with a majority in the 19th National Assembly is moving together, and the ruling party is actively using media tactics. The Media Reform Act is a law that allows the Democratic Party and the media union to form the board of directors of broadcasting companies according to their taste. Of course, the veto power should be exercised. This is already being discussed. It's the same principle as in the 20th National Assembly. If you look at the law a bit, in fact, isn't the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission currently being operated in a paralyzed manner? The personnel recommended by the opposition are being rejected, and important decisions are being made by two ministers appointed by the president, and in the process, the Broadcasting Commission is not functioning properly, and the president is...

Through the recommendations of the four appointed individuals, right now, they are conducting arbitrary deliberations. The Korea Communications Commission is not performing its regulatory role in these matters. Moreover, networks like TBS are being abolished, ordinances are being abolished, and no budget support is provided, leading to a crisis of the nation. In reality, the Korea Communications Commission has granted licenses until December 16, 2024, allowing the allocation of frequencies. Therefore, as a structure where broadcasting companies cannot operate if they do not have a permit, the KCC must ensure the freedom and public nature of broadcasting by providing supervision. However, they are neglecting their duties. Therefore, both the KCC and broadcasters have issues, and we need to work together to improve issues such as suppression of the press, which are urgent tasks at hand. It is crucial to engage in discussions with the opposition party, as we, the ruling party, discuss various matters, ultimately respecting the will of the people.

I think that carrying out such tasks is the very purpose of the National Assembly. Why do you think the people's power is so opposed to it? For example, I think it's because of the public opinion influenced by the media. It seems like they believe that the support rate isn't rising because the media that they don't like is reporting honestly. They should refrain from being too critical of the government and the ruling party. For instance, the public broadcaster recently reported on oil drilling, but instead of providing balanced coverage, they only praised it. So, they wish for media that doesn't have such biased reporting. They seem to be tempted to go back to the era of Dangjin News. Therefore, it seems like they want broadcasting that comes from the People Power, not allowing the Democratic Party to set up broadcasting as they please.

They are arguing like this because they are watching it this way. If I may add, isn't the Broadcasting Communication Commission operated by those two people? This is actually a deliberative body, but it operates as a monopolistic body. Within it, there are nine committees. Even here, various civil society organizations, media experts, and academic societies recommend members to form the committee. Then, a structure that can operate objectively is created. However, because we don't know what those two people are actually doing, as I mentioned earlier, if we compose it with the 21 board members, it will be much broader with six, three, and seven members. This structure can ensure diversity and objectivity. The reason why the ruling party opposes restructuring to make broadcasting a public broadcast is that the government will hold a presidential election in three years. It's not permanent.

We need to break this structure where public broadcasting is swayed every time the government changes. You think this way, right? You have been talking about broadcasting and were a standing committee member. But now, for the past 10 months, it has been operating with a two-person system. Since you have experienced this, what do you see as the biggest problem right now? The biggest issue is, as I mentioned earlier, that a broadcasting company like TBS should not be maintained frequently depending on the city council and mayor because it is a public broadcaster. If there are mistakes, they should be inspected and supervised on-site, and then reports should be made to the mayor or city council to correct them immediately. But they are not doing such things because it doesn't suit their taste, so they discard it and create a new form. If they feel the same way now, they should abolish the program, change the leadership, and further reform the broadcasting company.

Unprecedented things are happening now, but we are just watching from the sidelines. This is a problem of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. Secondly, it is about reaching important decisions through discussions and agreements. However, when two people discuss, instead of the required five, it is an illegal act. Even though the Supreme Court has ruled not to do so, it is being ignored. In a way, Chairman Kim Hong-il seems to lack expertise in this field and is more of a former special prosecutor. Previously, Chairman Lee Dong-kwan also had similar issues. Therefore, the Justice Party is currently considering the impeachment card. There are ongoing attempts to control the broadcasting, and if it continues, we cannot ignore considering it as well. Yes, some amendments to the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission Act are being considered.

You have shown your abilities. What is the content then? When I was in office as Acting President Kim Hyo-jae, I quickly processed the television subscription fee by changing it to an enforcement ordinance. At that time, I was asked to consider two things, how to secure television subscription fees stably. I only focused on one thing, but at that time, there was an acting president. Yes. So now, only the chairman can be impeached, but when the acting president performs the role of the chairman, he can also be subject to impeachment. This is one point to expand on. Secondly, due to not specifying the number of exclusion committee members, out of five, only two may be involved in operating the exclusion committee due to institutional preparation. How to handle the lack of at least a minimum number of members. So, it could be subject to impeachment with four or five members.

Because of the existence of this, it is necessary to improve the system. I have submitted two points, and in the future, the current Chairman of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission is not as famous as the former Chairman. The current Chairman is well known to the public, who has damaged the spirit established by the private independent organization and excessively imposed legal sanctions. This is being done through written resolutions by the Broadcasting and Communications Commission. So, will these aspects be comprehensively included in the institutional improvement? In terms of the law, this will be discussed later. Regarding the Broadcasting and Communications Commission and the Broadcasting and Communications Council, through public hearings, followed by hearings, and current issue reports, and even including national investigations, various methods that were unimaginable are being conducted. These are things that were not seen even in the past administration and the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments.

The things that were not done are being done by the Yun Seong-yeol government now, and they are saying they will make institutional improvements so that the issue does not recur. This is the position of the members of the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee of the Democratic Party and the opposition party, that if it becomes a proper way, it will be impossible for the current situation where only two people are not enough. Then, as you mentioned earlier, it should go in a structure where 4 to 5 people must be excluded in order to make such a decision. You have been mentioning complacency continuously. There are many criticisms that press oppression has gone too far. How do you see this? Right, there were public complaints, and then there are cases where they met AI experts, and also cases where they met other experts. There is also talk about a deliberation committee without proper records. And the bigger problem is that there should be three people recommended by the president, but currently...

It's operated by the name of the organization. This is really funny, so including that, Chairman Bangsim's term is almost over, and there are rumors that he will move somewhere else. Although we are a private independent organization, we must handle deliberations fairly and objectively, and in case of excessive exercise of authority, abuse of power, or a crisis in duties, we need to defend ourselves through institutional improvement. Looking at the current schedule, it seems that the deliberations will proceed very quickly. So, are you saying that these bills you mentioned will be processed quickly from there? Can we think like this? One more thing I'd like to ask about is a current issue in politics. Yesterday, the National Human Rights Commission asked about the suspicion of receiving a luxury handbag from Kim Yeosa and Kim Geon-hee.

It was concluded that it is not a violation of the prohibition law. How do you see this? In fact, on June 10, 1987, there was a nationwide struggle through the movement to abolish the Yushin Constitution, and even now, many citizens have a record of victory in history. How can they make this crime innocent in relation to that day and change the date like that? Then, taking a flight and going on a business trip abroad, the timing of the announcement is controversial now. So, in fact, if the announcement is on June 10th, they must have set the date at least 2 weeks or 10 days before that day. Therefore, ultimately, the committee that gave Kim Gun-hee the position lost its function as a national committee and had a clash of understanding. It is inevitable to be angry about that. Also, the prosecution continued to delay tactics, so they are also responsible for that part.

The Legislative Judiciary Committee and others will address this issue, and then Kim Geon-hee, a comprehensive law expert, will break through this issue. This is our party's position. Yesterday's announcement, in our hearts, we believe that public opinion will lean towards a special investigation. They demand more. Do you see it this way? Yes, that's right. In fact, on June 10th, with a bright smile, they climbed onto the track to greet people. How many people were actually clapping at that moment? The Blue House is in a dilemma and is further fueling anger. In this regard, I think we need to be more vigilant. Therefore, I believe that we need to judge the Yoon Seong-yeol administration, which is eager to hide the corruption of the current administration and their relatives, in the general election. The will of the people has not been properly respected for two months now. Nevertheless, I believe that the current administration and its subordinates, who blatantly ignore this, are truly reprehensible.

But the National Human Rights Commission said they were conducting an investigation until yesterday morning, and suddenly made an announcement. Actually, isn't the vice-chairman from a prosecutorial background? Then how can we trust that? It's not a timely announcement. We also have experience working in the government and even at the Blue House. How can they cover the sky with just one finger? It seems like they are treating the people like animals in an eco-bag. Whether it's the National Human Rights Commission or Yongsan, I don't think they can last long doing that kind of thing. Yes, that's how I see it. I will look forward to playing a role in the 22nd National Assembly. Thank you. Thank you.

[초대석] 김현 "방송3법 7월 초 통과‥사장·이사 임기 보장" (2024.06.11/뉴스외전/MBC)

MBC 뉴스 공식 유튜브 채널입니다. 시청자 여러분의 의견과 제보를 항상 기다립니다. 
세상과 소통하는 시간, MBC 뉴스와 함께 하세요!

[초대석] 김현 "방송3법 7월 초 통과‥사장·이사 임기 보장" (2024.06.11/뉴스외전/MBC)

Scripts