No, members of South Korea’s parliament were not “mad because they can’t read the words on anything” (as Fox News’s Shep Smith explained just now over footage of South Korean lawmakers shoving one another in front of banners bearing Korean characters), here’s why they’re “mad” (and, below that, some of that fisticuffs footage Smith tried to narrate):
Hundreds of competing lawmakers screamed and wrestled in South Korea’s parliament Wednesday as a rivalry over contentious media reform bills descended into a brawl that sent at least one to a hospital.
Lawmakers from the ruling Grand National Party occupied the speaker’s podium in a bid to quickly pass the bills aimed at easing restrictions on ownership of television networks…The opposition strongly opposes the proposed media reforms that would ease restrictions on large businesses and newspapers owning stakes in major broadcasting stations. They claim the move is a ploy by the government of President Lee Myung-bak to get more sympathetic media coverage by allowing large conservative newspapers to get into the broadcasting business.
And more interesting background from the Wall Street Journal.



Recent Comments
-
Coatney smith on
Chicago police respect public’s right to record
(1)
-
Wertman smith on
David Simon, creator of The Wire and Treme, on the Times-Picayune cuts
(16)
-
fdasfdsa on
Evolved for exhibitionism?
(1)
-
fdasfdsa on
The private-equity problem with Romney and GS Technologies
(1)
-
fdasfdsa on
When a 'birther' story comes knocking
(1)
-
fdasfdsa on
The Kickstarter Chronicles
(1)
-
Jon Ber on
Murdoch may sell his British papers
(2)
-
Dan A. on
Darts and Laurels
(2)
More