The Broadcast Media and Telecommunications Review Committee is moving toward normalisation ahead of the Broadcast Media and Telecommunications Commission.

Choi Min-hee (최민희), chair of the National Assembly's science, ICT, broadcasting and communications committee and a Democratic Party lawmaker, wrote on social media on Friday, "The president today appointed five members of the Broadcast Media and Telecommunications Review Committee." She added, "With 8 people appointed (one opposition-recommended appointee still incomplete), I hope the committee will start operating immediately."

The review committee consists of nine members: three nominated and appointed directly by the president, three recommended by the National Assembly speaker in consultation with negotiating parties, and three recommended by a standing committee under the National Assembly.

The president previously appointed three members on Dec. 28 last year: Koh Kwang-heon (고광헌), a former chief executive of the Seoul Shinmun, Kim Jun-hyun (김준현), a lawyer at law firm Wooriro, and Cho Seung-ho (조승호), a former head of YTN's news innovation headquarters.

With five more appointed this time, the eight-member lineup is complete with only one remaining slot allocated to the People Power Party. The review committee can deliberate and make decisions if at least four members attend.

The commission, by contrast, has not completed its membership four months after its launch in October last year. Normalisation was delayed again on Thursday when an agenda item on ruling and opposition nominations was not placed on the National Assembly plenary session's agenda.

The review committee is an independent body that reviews the public nature and fairness of broadcasting and can request corrective measures such as deletion of illegal information and blocking access. After its launch in October last year, no members were appointed, resulting in a backlog of about 168,000 cases for review.