The main opposition Democratic Party renewed its pledge to veto the KBS subscription fee rise unless the public broadcaster moves to maintain political neutrality.

“Only when KBS proves the legitimacy of the fee hike and shows efforts to renew itself will we examine the necessity to raise the fee,” said a party spokesperson after the DP Supreme Council meeting.

The remarks overturned the party floor leader Kim Jin-pyo’s earlier agreement with the ruling Grand National Party.

The floor leaders of both parties agreed Wednesday to put the issue to a culture committee vote next Tuesday after their respective debate sessions.

If passed by the committee, the KBS fee raise bill will be passed to the regular session on the following day, according to officials.

This swift agreement triggered suspicion that the parties may be putting on a political show, covertly agreeing to have the bill passed, despite some surface commotion.

On Monday, DP lawmakers vowed to boycott the fee raise plan and parties also scuffled during a culture subcommittee meeting Tuesday as the ruling party members pushed to have the bill passed.

“We do not intend to go easy on the issue, especially as the viewing fee rise by the public broadcaster should be examined all the more thoroughly because it is a de facto semi-compulsory move, similar to a tax hike,” the spokesperson said.

“The DP only agreed to hold further debate sessions on the issue, not to pass the bill next week.”

When the culture committee’s subcommittee passed the revision bill to raise the monthly viewing fee from 2,500 won to 3,500 won ($3), DP lawmakers pledged to veto the bill and claimed that the processes were illegitimate.

Over the Friday session, the committee members and KBS officials will discuss whether KBS is in a position to raise its fees and if so, how much the hike should be, officials said.

In another session to be held on Tuesday morning, shortly before the vote, they will discuss the outlines of the broadcasting bill revision.

“If we fail to reach a reasonable consensus in these two sessions, we shall definitely veto the given bill in next week’s committee vote and stop it from being delivered to the parliament’s regular session,” the spokesperson said.

Other minority opposition parties also expressed their disapproval of the subscription fee hike.

“The public broadcaster should first achieve political independence and equity, before discussing any fee raises,” said the floor leaders of the DP, Democratic Labor Party, New Progressive Party and the Creative Korea Party in a joint statement.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)