National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik (우원식) on Feb. 27 approved 2 recommendations for non-standing members of the Broadcast Media and Telecommunications Commission, making it likely the panel will meet its quorum.

Political circles said on Feb. 27 that Woo approved recommendations for Yoon Sung-ok (윤성옥), a professor in the Department of Media and Film Studies at Kyonggi University, backed by the Democratic Party, and Lee Sang-geun (이상근), a professor in the Department of Business Administration at Sogang University, backed by the People Power Party.

Candidates recommended by the National Assembly speaker will undergo vetting by the Ministry of Personnel Management and the presidential office before President Lee Jae-myung (이재명) makes final appointments.

The commission had been run by Chair Kim Jong-cheol (김종철), a presidential appointee, and 2 non-standing members, Ryu Shin-hwan (류신환) and another, making it impossible to handle agenda items. Under Article 13, Paragraph 2 of the commission’s founding law, meetings open with at least 4 members present and decisions require a majority of those present to approve. If Ko Min-soo (고민수), Yoon and Lee join following the National Assembly vote the previous day and the speaker’s approval on Feb. 27, the commission will have 5 members in total and meet the minimum requirement to pass decisions.

Once the commission is up and running, follow-up measures to the three broadcasting laws that have been delayed are expected to proceed in earnest. A priority task is revising rules for the composition of boards at public broadcasters such as KBS, which the supplementary provisions of the three broadcasting laws required to be completed by last December.

There is also controversy in some quarters over whether the recommendation process was proper. That is because the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission handled 2 non-standing members through a National Assembly vote. Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the commission’s founding law does not distinguish between standing and non-standing members and defines all 5 seats recommended by the National Assembly as being 'recommended by the National Assembly.'

The National Assembly previously held a plenary session on Feb. 26 and put ruling and opposition recommendations for standing members to a vote. A recommendation for Ko, a professor in the Department of Law at Gangneung-Wonju National University backed by the Democratic Party, passed with 228 in favour out of 249 present. A recommendation for Cheon Young-sik (천영식), head of PenNMike, backed by the People Power Party, was rejected, with 116 in favour and 124 against.