With the KCC failing to take any meaningful action, particularly to rein in big tech, the Government has established a new, centrally administered sectoral regulator
The South Korean Government has abolished the KCC in favour of a new, centralised regulator
On 27 September 2025, the South Korean National Assembly passed the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission. Although the 184 National Assembly members present all voted in favour of the law, a number of opposition party members abstained from the vote in protest. Responsibility for regulation of the telecoms sector had been divided between the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korean Communications Commission (KCC), which the Government determined to be a structural limitation that hindered proactive regulatory responses to a constantly changing media and technology environment. The act abolished the KCC, creating a new regulator, the Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission (BMCC), as a central agency under the President. It will be led by a seven-person committee (once appointed), as opposed to the KCC’s five. The number of sitting committee members has been cited by the current Government as one of the KCC’s major problems, as only two commissioners had been in place since July 2023, which was not enough for major regulatory decisions to be made.
The now-defunct KCC has come under intense scrutiny for its lack of oversight of large tech firms
More recently, on October 13 2025, the National Assembly launched a parliamentary audit of the Government. The performance of the KCC was one of the key areas investigated, with lawmakers heavily criticising the regulator’s approach and general lack of oversight, arguing that it had been in a state of “regulatory paralysis” for years. In particular, members of the National Assembly argued that the KCC had failed to effectively regulate big tech, resulting in significant economic losses in South Korea. Newly elected President, Lee Jae Myung, has advocated a regulatory approach that better restricts large online platforms from abusing their dominant positions. Interestingly, since this audit took place, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has taken up the issue, rather than the newly formed BMCC. On 6 November 2025, at an FTC meeting, Ju Biung-Ghi (Chairperson, FTC) vowed to pursue new efforts to better align South Korea’s regulation of big tech with stronger approaches adopted in other countries. However, Ju also urged caution, citing the ongoing tariff-related discussions with the US Government as a potential barrier to stricter regulation of these firms.
The former KCC Chairperson has criticised the establishment of the new regulator following her dismissal
Former KCC Chairperson, Lee Jin-sook, also took part in the audit, condemning the Government’s approach to the dismantling of the KCC as well as her dismissal. Lee was automatically removed from her position at the KCC following the National Assembly’s promulgation of the act and was then arrested over allegations that she had violated electoral law and breached political neutrality rules by appearing on conservative YouTube channels, where she made remarks about the current administration during her time at the previous regulator. Lee has also more widely criticised the formation of the BMCC, arguing that it was established in a political move to oust her, rather than to improve the KCC’s operations, claiming that the new regulator is still following a near-identical remit to its predecessor. The National Assembly has indicated, however, that the BMCC will have a wide range of duties, from telecoms regulation to pay TV and “digital transmission” policy.
