Parties on collision course over disputed media bills

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly is again heading for a partisan deadlock, as the main opposition Democratic Party vowed Thursday to boycott dialogue with the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) about all economy-related bills in protest over the GNP's unilateral move on the previous day to introduce controversial media reform bills.

DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said his party will mobilize all possible means to
block the parliamentary passage of the media bills and refuse to cooperate in the
efforts of the Lee Myung-bak government and the GNP to formulate a supplementary
budget designed to stem the deepening economic downturn.
On Wednesday, GNP legislator Ko Heung-kil, chairman of parliament's committee
overseeing media affairs, invoked his authority as committee head to bring the
contested media industry reform bills to deliberation by a judiciary subcommittee
and a vote, after rival parties failed to narrow differences.
The bills have been a major stumbling block and source of tension among rival
parties since late last year.
If eventually passed in the Assembly's plenary session, the bills would allow
conglomerates, print media and news agencies to own up to a 20 percent stake in
terrestrial broadcasters. Simultaneous ownership of print and broadcasting media
will be made possible, while conglomerates, newspapers and news agencies would be
allowed to have a 49-percent stake in general and news-only cable television
channels. Foreigners will also be allowed to own up to 20 percent of Korean cable
TV broadcasters.
GNP insists the reform bills are indispensable to strengthening the international
competitiveness of the nation's media industry, but critics charge the plan would
lead to monopoly of the market by a handful of companies, undermining diversity
and the ability to express views critical of the government.
Following Ko's unilateral introduction of the bills, DP lawmakers began a sit-in
protest at the committee chamber, calling for an apology from the GNP and vowing
not to cooperate with the ruling party on legislative issues.
"It would be difficult to cooperate with any scheduled meetings at the National
Assembly unless we are promised that the decision will be repealed and trust is
restored," DP Chairman Chung said in his radio interview with broadcaster KBS.
Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, floor leader of the GNP, tried to assure the opposition by
saying that his party doesn't intend to push through the bills without
consultations with the opposition parties. The GNP controls a comfortable
majority of 172 seats in the 299-member parliament.
"As the parliament's extra session ends on March 3, we will consult with the
opposition as much as possible," Hong said during a meeting of his party's
leaders, adding that the bills aren't intended to "give away" broadcasters to
conglomerates.
In protest at the ruling party's decision, some 1,000 union members of MBC went
on an indefinite strike beginning Thursday morning, the National Union of Media
Workers (NUMW) said. Unions at KBS, SBS and other nationwide broadcasters were
also mulling on making coordinated moves.
The union sees the bills as initial steps in the president's ultimate plan to
privatize state-run television channels, a move strongly opposed by broadcasters
but welcomed by market-dominant newspaper companies.
Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, tried to keep the issue at
arm's length, saying that it is a matter that must be resolved among lawmakers.
"We are in an age when parliament has never before enjoyed autonomy as much as
now," Park Hyung-joon, senior secretary to the president for public affairs, said
in a radio interview with BBS.
"Given such conditions, we hope for the National Assembly to reach an agreement
as soon as possible," said Park.