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4d ago

South Korea’s Ruling Party Passes Broadcasting Overhaul After Ending 24-Hour Filibuster

Lawmakers cut political appointments to the KBS board following a vote that ended a rare 24-hour filibuster

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik tables the amendment to the Broadcasting Act at a plenary session in Seoul on Aug. 4, 2025. (Yonhap)
This photo shows an ongoing filibuster to block a contentious broadcasting bill during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 5, 2025. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • The National Assembly approved amendments to the Broadcasting Act by a 178–2 vote after the Democratic Party invoked cloture to terminate the opposition’s 24-hour filibuster.
  • Under the new law, KBS’s board expands from 11 to 15 members and shifts appointment authority away from government and Assembly officials toward broader nomination panels.
  • People Power Party lawmakers boycotted the final vote and have announced plans to file constitutional petitions challenging the amendment’s legitimacy.
  • The Democratic Party has lined up votes on two remaining broadcasting governance bills, the “yellow envelope” labor protections law and a revision to the Commercial Act for the Aug. 21 session.
  • Observers warn that the use of filibuster termination and one-party vote measures underscores deep partisan divides and could fuel further legal disputes over media independence.