Kim Jongcheol, Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee Chair: "Reforming Outdated Regulations... Promoting the Media Development Committee"

Six-Month Press Conference Highlights Achievements and Vision

Plans for Integrated Media Act and Establishment of Media Development Committee

Kim Jongcheol, Chairman of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee, stated on the 15th, "We will boldly reform outdated and unreasonable regulations such as those on broadcast advertising and programming in order to create a healthy media environment."

Kim Joungho, Chair of the Broadcast, Media and Communications Committee, is delivering a greeting at the '1 Year Anniversary of Government Launch and 6 Months since Committee Chairmanship Press Briefing' held on the 15th at the Government Gwacheon Complex. Provided by the Broadcast, Media and Communications Committee

On this day, Chairman Kim held a press conference at the Government Complex Gwacheon to mark six months since his inauguration. He presented plans to establish the Media Development Committee and to promote the Integrated Media Act.

He said, "From the moment the committee was formed, we have focused our efforts on swiftly resolving issues that have accumulated over the past two years, with the mindset of 'making up for lost time as quickly as possible.' We have established fundamental rules, including revising meeting operation regulations and enacting rules on professional ethics. Based on this, we have also established the institutional foundation needed for the plenary session and various statutory committees to operate smoothly."

He continued, "We will actively pursue the establishment of the Media Development Committee (tentative name) in consultation with relevant ministries and make this the starting point for a major shift in media policy." Through the Media Development Committee, the plan is to support integrated discussions on regulatory and promotional policies, not only laying the institutional groundwork such as the Integrated Media Act, but also addressing the funding structure in the broadcasting and media sectors. The Media Development Committee is expected to be formed as a joint civilian-government committee in consultation with the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

He went on to say, "We will realize the value of 'media sovereignty,' ensuring that everyone can use media freely and safely," adding, "We will continue to pursue policies that strengthen media literacy, including expanding media education and promoting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as preventing its negative impacts."

Chairman Kim cited achievements in the broadcasting sector such as the re-authorization of terrestrial and pay TV broadcasters, revision of enforcement decrees and rules following the three broadcasting acts, and the selection of recommending organizations for public broadcaster board members. He said, "We are closely monitoring the situation regarding recommendations for public broadcaster board members and will respond according to principles to ensure recommendations and appointments can proceed promptly." He also emphasized the importance of establishing the Korea Broadcasting, Media and Communications Development Institute to unify promotion functions in broadcasting and media, as well as founding a Transparency Center to support voluntary fact-checking activities.

In the communications sector, he said, the focus has been on user protection and restoring market trust. This includes amending the enforcement decree of the Information and Communications Network Act to respond to false and manipulated information, minimizing market confusion following the repeal of the Act on the Improvement of Distribution Structure of Mobile Communication Devices (the so-called "Device Distribution Act"), and completing amendments to the enforcement decree of the Telecommunications Business Act.

Chairman Kim was inaugurated as the first chairman of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee in December last year, two months after its launch in October. This April, the committee secured a quorum for the first time and held its first plenary session, and over a period of about two months, it processed over 90 agenda items through 17 meetings.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.