DP to form committee to fight media law 

 

The main opposition Democratic Party is moving to launch an ad hoc committee to lead its fight against the media regulations that passed the parliament last week.

 

The committee, which is to be composed of five different divisions, will head the 100-day battle that aims to invalidate the media legislation passed unilaterally by the ruling Grand National Party.

 

Beginning at the Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, the DP committee will visit major cities like Suwon, Incheon and Busan to publicize the downsides of the enactment, according to a DP official.

 

It will work closely with civic groups, including a progressive lawyers' group, to step up its battle over the legality of the media law.

 

The exact members of the committee, however, have yet to be confirmed, said another DP official.

 

The DP will also establish a monitoring body to brace for the upcoming parliamentary hearings on nominees for top government posts along with the national budget distribution process.

 

"Let's continue our fight by keeping ourselves organized until the public comes to a complete understanding about the defects of the GNP-led media law," said DP floor leader Lee Kang-rae.

 

Involving the arrest of the Choi Sang-jae, chief of the National Union of Media Workers, that took place yesterday morning, the DP pointed out that it was an unreasonable act, especially due to the fact that he was handcuffed in front of his family.

 

"It could only be seen as an action put together to pause our all-out protest," Lee said. "If the police are forced to make an irrational move, the DP will find all possible measures to prevent it from happening."

 

In a related event, DP lawmakers Choo Mi-ae and Kim Sang-hee and another group of four DP legislators visited the Yeongdeungpo Police Station to post objection regarding Choi's arrest.

 

The chief of the media workers' union had asked to defer the police investigation until Aug. 15 after receiving two attendance notices from the police.

 

"Even after the labor union chief requested for the inquiry to be conducted at a later date, the police forcefully took away Choi in front of his wife and daughter, who is in elementary school," they said, questioning whether it was a necessary measure considering that it was not an urgent issue.

 

Meanwhile, DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said yesterday he would take more time into deciding as to whether he will hand over the resignation letters of the remaining DP legislators to National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o.

 

Earlier last week, about 70 of the main opposition party's lawmakers submitted resignations to the DP leader and two other DP lawmakers handed in resignations directly to the speaker.

 

 

Source: The Korea Herald