On July 13, South Korea’s Democratic Party unilaterally passed a bill in the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, commonly referred to as the “Ryu Hee-rim Impeachment Bill.” The bill aims to reclassify the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) as a ministerial-level political appointee, thereby making the position subject to parliamentary impeachment. The stated goal is to equip the National Assembly with mechanisms to check the commission’s abuse of power.
Under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, the KCSC has faced mounting criticism for acting as an instrument of political control—penalizing critical media coverage, arbitrarily censoring online content, promoting unconstitutional “fake news” regulations, and overstepping its legal boundaries by regulating online news outlets. It has also been accused of politicizing election broadcast review panels and soliciting complaints to suppress dissenting voices. Chairperson Ryu Hee-rim has been specifically accused of privatizing the commission and using it as a tool for presidential censorship.
While the intention to address the KCSC’s overreach is understandable, the Democratic Party’s chosen path is deeply problematic. Neither academic experts nor civil society groups have proposed impeachment powers as a solution. Elevating the chairperson’s status to a high-level government position undermines the commission’s founding principle as an independent civilian body and risks intensifying, rather than curbing, political control. The bill’s abrupt passage—absent meaningful public debate—has only amplified concerns.
We, Article 21 Net, have urged the Democratic Party to halt this unilateral process. To genuinely safeguard constitutional rights such as freedom of expression and assembly, restrictions imposed by state power must be minimized. Fundamental reform should begin by narrowing the KCSC’s mandate to prevent political censorship. The Democratic Party must listen to the concerns of the media and civil society and pursue a reform agenda grounded in democratic deliberation.
December 26, 2024
Article 21 Net
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