Under the current Act, Internet multimedia broadcast (hereinafter “IPTV”) service providers are required to handle user complaints and perform other duties to protect users. However, it does not prescribe grounds to establish and organize a users’ committee enabling users to propose suggestions or request corrections, etc.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Science and ICT, there were 14,716,575 IPTV subscribers as of the first half of 2018, making up approximately half (46.05%) of the 31,956,419 paid broadcast subscribers, and critics point out a need to prepare institutional mechanisms to protect the rights and interests of IPTV users.

Accordingly, the Amendment obligates Internet multimedia broadcast service providers to establish a users’ committee, thereby aiming to contribute to the enhancement of the rights and interests of users (Article 16-2 and Article 16-3 newly inserted, etc.).

Require Internet multimedia broadcast service providers to establish a users’ committee to protect the rights and interests of users (Article 16-2, paragraph 1 newly inserted)
Require Internet multimedia broadcast service providers to report to the Minster of Science and ICT on the results of users’ committee deliberations and matters concerning the handling thereof (Article 16-3, paragraph 4 newly inserted)