TV수신료와 언론의 자유의 관계

Freedom of the press is derived from Article 21(1) and (3) of the Constitution, and it has the characteristic of contributing to the practical guarantee of freedom of the press, which is the basis for the existence and development of democracy, by enabling the exchange of diverse information and opinions. In addition, Korea has a public broadcasting system for the improvement of public interest and cultural development in consideration of the public nature of broadcasting, and the state provides direct and indirect support and regulation for the operation of broadcasting, and it can be said that such public broadcasting has great value and responsibility in that it introduces various public opinions, which is a prerequisite for realizing democracy, guarantees citizens' right to know by providing public information, and realizes the right to live a humane life by guaranteeing access to culture that the socially, culturally, and economically disadvantaged or the economically disadvantaged should enjoy. Therefore, in order for a public broadcaster to perform its public function of broadcasting diverse opinions and information in a balanced and fair manner and to enjoy the freedom of broadcasting as the subject of press freedom, its independence from state power and certain social forces must be guaranteed, and such independence of public broadcasters can only be achieved when it is implemented, especially in terms of financing, and in this respect, the justification for the public broadcaster to charge and collect license fees from the public is secured. The question is how much and how to charge and collect the license fee, but considering that Korea has entered the ranks of advanced countries based on rapid economic growth and the ability of individual citizens to pay has improved accordingly, even if the reception fee is increased in consideration of the inflation rate and integrated collection is implemented as before, the infringement on the property rights of those obliged to pay the license fee will be minimal. On the contrary, making the license fee a reality and simplifying the collection process will contribute to the development of democracy by promoting the freedom of speech in public broadcasting, and for this purpose, the involvement of the National Assembly in determining the amount of the license fee should be limited or minimized, and the contents of the integrated collection of the license fee or the choice of the collection method should be codified in the law.