By Kim Bo-eun
Union workers at public broadcasters KBS and MBS went on strike Sunday at midnight, five years after their last walkout protesting the Lee Myung-bak administration's attempts to control the media.
"We apologize for the inconvenience the walkout will pose on broadcasting," the National Union of Media Workers said in a statement.
"We will do our best to win in the struggle to normalize the media so we can become the media of the people."
The MBC and KBS workers are calling for management to resign, and for a reform of public broadcasters. The workers claim management prevented them from producing news critical of the government.
Around 2,000 and 1,800 workers of the MBC and KBS units of the media workers' union are taking part in the strike. Those attending the KBS walkout will likely increase, as members of the labor union within KBS will join on Thursday.
Most of the major entertainment programs at MBC will be canceled this week. Reruns will air for popular weekend entertainment programs.
At KBS, its primetime 9 p.m. news will be limited to 40 minutes from the usual one hour.
Management of the two broadcasters called through statements and text messages for the strikers to return to work on Sunday following North Korea's sixth nuclear text, but union members demanded management resign first.
The court issued an arrest warrant for MBC President Kim Jang-gyeom on Friday, but he came to work on Monday. He reportedly visited key broadcasting units and encouraged the workers still on duty.
The warrant was issued because Kim refused to attend questioning by the labor ministry on unfair labor practices at MBC. The ministry summoned Kim three times.
The labor ministry has been conducting a special investigation of MBC's labor practices since June.
Kim said he would attend questioning by the labor ministry on Tuesday.
Union workers at public broadcasters KBS and MBS went on strike Sunday at midnight, five years after their last walkout protesting the Lee Myung-bak administration's attempts to control the media.
"We apologize for the inconvenience the walkout will pose on broadcasting," the National Union of Media Workers said in a statement.
"We will do our best to win in the struggle to normalize the media so we can become the media of the people."
The MBC and KBS workers are calling for management to resign, and for a reform of public broadcasters. The workers claim management prevented them from producing news critical of the government.
Around 2,000 and 1,800 workers of the MBC and KBS units of the media workers' union are taking part in the strike. Those attending the KBS walkout will likely increase, as members of the labor union within KBS will join on Thursday.
Most of the major entertainment programs at MBC will be canceled this week. Reruns will air for popular weekend entertainment programs.
At KBS, its primetime 9 p.m. news will be limited to 40 minutes from the usual one hour.
Management of the two broadcasters called through statements and text messages for the strikers to return to work on Sunday following North Korea's sixth nuclear text, but union members demanded management resign first.
The court issued an arrest warrant for MBC President Kim Jang-gyeom on Friday, but he came to work on Monday. He reportedly visited key broadcasting units and encouraged the workers still on duty.
The warrant was issued because Kim refused to attend questioning by the labor ministry on unfair labor practices at MBC. The ministry summoned Kim three times.
The labor ministry has been conducting a special investigation of MBC's labor practices since June.
Kim said he would attend questioning by the labor ministry on Tuesday.
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