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In a major reversal, the four major Korean television stations have decided to broadcast a debate among the major candidates for chairman of the Grand National Party (GNP) on Sunday and Monday. Initially, the stations had refused to broadcast the debate, but on Friday afternoon all the major networks decided to screen the event.
KBS will broadcast the debate at 11:20 p.m. on Sunday on its KBS 2TV station. Commentator Chung Kwan-yong will host the live program titled, ¡°Special Debate for GNP chairman."
Candidates Hong Sa-duk, Park Geun-hye, Kim Moon-soo, Kwon Oh-eul, and Park Jin will each invite 15 supporters to compose the audience. There will be no opportunities, however, for the audience to express their opinions.
SBS will prepare a TV debate at 11:10 a.m. on Monday at the SBS Tanhyeon studio, chaired by Eom Kwang-sok, an editorialist of SBS. The audience will not be allowed to participate in the program.
MBS will broadcast live the GNP¡¯s debate from GNP headquarters on Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, labor unions at the nation's broadcasters are squealing with protest at the stations' sudden reversal of their original position. Until Friday afternoon, the TV stations had been steadfast in their decision to not broadcast the debates.
The KBS headquarters of the National Union of Media Workers issued a statement on Saturday which read in part, ¡°The policy to broadcast the debate came out after the GNP made a threatened and made a visit protesting the decision, and we believe the decision is a surrender to the GNP¡¯s threats and pressure.¡± The labor union scolded the broadcaster, saying, ¡°We feel anger and betrayal against management, which has fooled itself and the people.¡±
MBC's labor union also issued a statement that asserted, ¡°There must be an explanation as to why the decision was reversed and management should be responsible the results.¡± The labor union statement also warned, ¡°Though MBC chose to broadcast the GNP debate to maintain its impartiality, it rather is in danger of broadcasting proposals that may violate the election law.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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