▲ Chairperson Kim Jong-cheol speaks at the 39th plenary meeting of 2026 held at the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission in the Government Complex Gwacheon on September 30.
The Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission has unveiled a "basic media society" that guarantees the public's right to media access, participation, and choice in the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) era as its inaugural vision.
On September 30, the commission held its 39th meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon and approved its first-term vision and key policy measures, consisting of four major goals and 12 policy tasks under the vision of a "Basic Media Society Together with the People."
This comes one year after the commission was launched in October last year, and six months after it began full-scale operations.
Moving away from the traditional division of policies by broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, the commission structured its policy framework around the public's media use, participation, and choice.
The four major goals are: ▲ strengthening universal access enjoyed by all; ▲ expanding public-led active participation; ▲ ensuring autonomous choices based on safety and trust; and ▲ creating a sustainable ecosystem of innovation and win-win growth.
The commission plans to enhance media and AI accessibility for people with disabilities and older adults, promote local and community media, and strengthen universal access to disaster information and events of major public interest.
It also aims to expand opportunities for citizens to create media content and participate in policymaking by broadening life-cycle AI and media literacy education and expanding viewer media centers.
In response to the growing influence of AI and platforms, it will increase the transparency of coordinated programming and recommendation algorithms, while overhauling the labeling, distribution, and management systems for AI-generated content.
The commission plans to respond to emerging digital risks such as deepfakes, strengthen user rights and relief from harm, and support the creation of an autonomous private fact-checking ecosystem by establishing a transparency center.
It will also reinforce user protection by reforming the existing connecting information (CI) system—which is difficult to change once leaked—into an updatable format and intensifying inspections against the leak and misuse of location data.
Institutional improvements will also be pursued to foster the sustainability of the media industry.
In line with the blurring lines between broadcasting, online, and platform services, it plans to pursue the enactment of an integrated media act and reform regulations concerning broadcasting re-licensing and re-approval, pay TV, programming, and home shopping.
The commission will support innovation in content production and distribution using AI and data, as well as the global expansion of over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms.
It plans to solidify the industry's foundation by supporting the digital and AI transition of local, small, and medium-sized broadcasters and reforming the financing and revenue structures for advertising, sponsorship, and broadcasting media.
During the meeting, commissioners called for the vision to go beyond a mere declaration and translate into policies that can be tangibly felt on the ground.
Commissioner Choi Soo-young stressed, "The broadcasting and media industry is in a situation where it worries about survival rather than growth," emphasizing the need to swiftly and effectively pursue regulatory innovation and industry support policies.
Chairperson Kim Jong-cheol said, "Today's vision is not a completion, but a beginning," adding, "Based on this inaugural vision, we will substantially guarantee the public's media sovereignty and realize tangible policies from these specific tasks to create a 'Basic Media Society Together with the People.'"
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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