Opposition lifts ban on members appearing on 4 cable stations

Park Jie-won, former floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party, officially revoked a ban on party members appearing on four general cable TV stations Monday.

“The party decided to let each party member decide whether to appear on four general cable TV stations. The reason for this announcement is that members think that party policy prohibits them from appearing on those channels though the party never tried to regulate members’ appearing on general TV stations,” said Min Byeong-doo, the party`s general manager for strategic public relations. “Public TV networks air TV debates in late night only. But general cable TV channels allow issues to be debated in depth, including real estate policies and supplementary budget. We will try to emphasize better issues than topics given by the other party.”

Park appeared on Channel A’s debate program hosted by Park Jong-jin Monday. Moon Hee-sang, head of the party`s emergency council, also participated in a hour-long debate program on JTBC the same day.

Though the party faction supporting former President Roh Moo-hyun discouraged its members from appearing on the four cable stations since the stations` launch in 2011, some lawmakers appeared on the channels over the presidential campaign period of last year, making the party order nominal. After the liberal camp`s loss in the election, failure to fully utilize general cable channels was blamed as a reason for the defeat. Party members decided in a March 14 general meeting to resolve the matter in an emergency board meeting.

irun@donga.com