Controversy over separation of TV license fees flares up

The dispute over the separation of television license fees from electricity bills is heating up between Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), a major public broadcaster, and the Yoon Suk Yeol government.

Korea Broadcasting System President and CEO Kim Eui-chul speaks during a press conference held at the company headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Thursday. [YONHAP]

The dispute over the separation of television license fees from electricity bills is heating up between Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), a major public broadcaster, and the Yoon Suk Yeol government.

KBS has charged television license fees to each household that owns a television connected to a network in their homes under the Broadcasting Act. This fee of 2,500 won ($1.9) was collected as part of electricity bills issued by the Korea Gas Corporation since 1994.

This integrated collection has been a controversial subject in Korea, as some people claim that they should be allowed to choose whether to pay for a broadcaster's license fees.

The controversy resurfaced recently when the presidential office announced a push to split the bills earlier in the week.

KBS President and CEO Kim Eui-chul questioned the political motive behind the move and said he will step down if the government withdraws the attempt.

“The push for collecting license fees separately is a measure that damages the bedrock of public broadcasting,” the public broadcaster’s chief said in a statement during a press conference held at KBS headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Thursday morning.

He also called on President Yoon to withdraw the government’s push for the change.

“If the fact that I was appointed by the previous administration is a problem, I will surrender my position. I will step down from office immediately after the push is withdrawn,” said Kim, who was appointed to his position by former President Moon Jae-in on Dec. 10, 2021.

The presidential office rejected Kim’s allegation.

“The CEO’s resignation is an entirely different issue from the separation of license fees,” a presidential official told reporters Thursday. “The push for separation, long desired by the people, will continue on regardless of a management shuffle.”

Yoon’s office announced Monday that it made a recommendation to the Korea Communications Commission and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to split the bill.

“Reflecting public complaints and demand for change over the inconvenience of the integrated collecting of license and electricity fees [···] we recommended revising the relevant laws and regulations for the separate collection [of fees] and preparing follow-up measures,” Kang Seung-kyu, senior presidential secretary for civil society, said in a press briefing.

The change was one of the topics on the table at an online public debate that the presidential office is hosting on its online website from March through April 9. More than 60,000 people commented on the post, and 97 percent of people who voted on the issue voted for the move.

Four KBS board members held a separate press event at the company headquarters in the afternoon. They called on the entire executive body and the board, who they claim sat on their hands as public demand for the separate fee collection rose to current levels, to resign altogether for a complete transformation.

“The separation of license fees signals the end of public broadcasting, but the executives failed to take a single correct step,” they said. “Diverting the issue to the political domain is a 'gimmick' to ignore public demand."

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]