It's official...

After months of controversy and strife, the Grand National Party (GNP) has finally rammed through the media reform bills. These bills will increase the amount of stock private groups an own from TV channels. The major fear that opposition parties and progressive groups have is that these TV stations will be bought out by the major corporations of Korea thus creating a oligarchy of television. It is safe to assume that the Cho-Joong-Dong (the three major conservative newspapers in Korea who dominate 58% of the newspaper market) will take out major stock and thus try to influence the news even further.

Though the bill passed the controversy is far from done. Representatives from the Democratic Party has threatened to resign en masse if this is pushed through and are trying to get an injunction to rule the vote illegal (It was voted on twice and you can only vote once on a bill). I do not know what exactly will happen if the Democratic Party resigned from the National Assembly or if an injunction will work. From my understanding of the Korean law system, this would go under the jurisdiction of the Korean Supreme Court.

Either way if there is one bright side to this event it is the fact that the GNP's reign of power is not going to be very long. This media reform was not exactly popular in the first place among the public, and caused Park Geun-hye (who endorsed these bills when she was GNP chairwoman) on procedural grounds (She didn't end up voting because she was blocked out). Then there is that whole media workers strike as well. The GNP, which did poorly at the last round of elections, is probably going to decline further with Park Geun-hye reaping the benefits.