PPP leader accuses MBC TV of politically biased weather forecast
A large blue-colored number "one" alongside a broadcaster is seen in this image captured from a weather news report by TV station MBC, Feb. 27. Yonhap
Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon criticized MBC TV on Thursday after the broadcaster recently aired a weather forecast program that critics claim implicitly calls for support for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in April's general elections.
In Tuesday's evening weather news broadcast, a blue-colored numeral "one" was prominently featured alongside a female broadcaster as she reported on the concentration of fine dust in Seoul. She also remarked on the number's size relative to her height.
In Korean politics, blue is the color of the DPK, while red represents the ruling People Power Party (PPP). In April's elections, DPK candidates are also supposed to be on top of a ballot with the No. 1 mark as the party holds the largest number of lawmakers in the current National Assembly.
"MBC aired election campaign broadcasts for the DPK through the weather forecast. This caught me off guard," PPP leader Han said during a party meeting Thursday.
The PPP had lodged a complaint against MBC with the Korea Communications Standards Commission, the telecommunications watchdog, accusing the broadcaster of bluntly siding with the DPK. (Yonhap)