On the 27th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, the bill on the establishment and operation of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee (alternative) is passing with 176 in favor and 1 opposed out of 177 members present at the 9th plenary session of the 429th National Assembly (regular session). /Courtesy of News1

The Democratic Party of Korea pushed through the Act on the Establishment of the Broadcasting-Media-Communications Commission (BMCC), which abolishes the current Korea Communications Commission and creates the Broadcasting-Media-Communications Commission, at a plenary session of the National Assembly on the 27th. When the law takes effect, Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook, who was appointed under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and has been at odds with the government and the ruling party, will have her term end and be automatically dismissed.

At the plenary session that day, the National Assembly passed the Act on the Establishment of the Broadcasting-Media-Communications Commission with 176 votes in favor and one abstention out of 177 lawmakers present. Lawmakers of the People Power Party, who opposed the bill, refused to take part in the vote. The sole abstention was by Reform Party lawmaker Lee Ju-young.

The People Power Party criticized the bill as being aimed at ousting Chairperson Lee and began an unlimited debate (filibuster) the previous day. However, around 7:30 p.m. that day, the Democratic Party opened a vote at the National Assembly plenary session to forcibly end the filibuster, then proceeded with the vote on the bill.

Lee Jin-sook, chair of the Korea Communications Commission, watches the unlimited debate (filibuster) on the bill on the establishment and operation of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee (alternative) by Lee Ju-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea at the 9th plenary session of the 429th National Assembly (regular session) at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 27th. /Courtesy of News1

With the bill's passage, the Korea Communications Commission, launched in 2008, will be abolished after 17 years. Instead, the newly created BMCC will take on both the former Korea Communications Commission's duties and the Ministry of Science and ICT's media promotion functions. The commission will consist of seven members: two designated by the president and five recommended by the negotiation blocs of the ruling and opposition parties (three from the opposition and two from the ruling party). This makes the ruling–opposition alignment 4 to 3.

The bill also includes a reorganization of the Korea Communications Standards Commission into the Broadcasting-Media-Communications Standards Commission and allows for the impeachment of the deliberation commission chairperson.

Under a clause in the bill stating that "civil servants under the Korea Communications Commission (excluding political appointees) shall be deemed civil servants under the BMCC," Chairperson Lee will be automatically dismissed. Among political appointees at the Korea Communications Commission with remaining terms, Chairperson Lee is the only one.

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