In addition to KBS, which is being criticized for the recent proposal and disregard for the subscription fee increase, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (hereinafter referred to as KEPCO), which consigns the fee, is also controversial as it is revealed that it has collected more than 40 billion TV subscription fees every year.
According to data received from KEPCO by Rep. Ja-geun Koo, a member of the Industry, Trade and Small and Medium Venture Business Committee, KEPCO generated a total fee of 8565 billion won from 1994 to last year.
Excluding the first year of collection, 1994, starting from 19 billion won in 1995 and 1996, it has increased by 1 billion to 2 billion won each year, and has reached 40 billion won since 2018. It collected 41 billion won in 2019 and 41.4 billion won last year.
Rep. Koo argued that these fees were’unearned income’. They are collecting public electricity bills, charging TV subscription fees, and collecting excessive fees.
It also pointed out that if the KBS license fee hike proceeds as planned, KEPCO’s unearned income will also naturally increase.
Currently, KEPCO’s license fee consignment fee rate is 6.15%. As the license fee itself increases, the fee naturally increases.
It is also the first utility bill to be paid because the TV subscription fee is charged together on the electricity bill.
Rep. Koo said, “Along with the issue of the abolition of TV license fees, an institutional mechanism to choose to pay TV license fees must be prepared.” He pointed out, “I can’t help but ask if it is the role of a public corporation for the people that the public corporations who are entrusted with paying fees and paying these fees raise unearned income of over 850 billion won.”
On the other hand, KEPCO’s position is that labor costs, on-site management costs, computer processing costs, and financial settlement costs are all included in the fee, and the rate of increase in labor costs has not been reflected since 2012.
Criticism of the high KBS license fee has been steadily raised recently.
Previously, on the 27th of last month, KBS proposed an agenda to raise the current subscription fee of 2500 won per month to 3840 won per month at the regular board meeting.
The proposed license fee increase will be decided after deliberation by the board of directors through various procedures such as public hearings, public opinion polls, and suggestion of measures to strengthen public responsibilities in KBS. If the deliberation passes, KBS license fee income will exceed 1 trillion won per year.
In this process, it was revealed that 46.4% of the total annual salary of 100 million won or more and 1,500 non-employees were also revealed, which made it public.
In addition, one employee said, “If you don’t have an annual salary of 100 million won, join the company,” “KBS has some pitiful employees who only earn half of the 100 million won”, sparking controversy.
Netizens who heard the report responded, “Separate the fee! It’s been 10 years since I haven’t seen KBS”, “Public institutions are stealing with national money”, “What a vampire thing this is,” and criticized KBS and KEPCO. Raised.