The heads of public broadcasters from around the world have issued a joint statement expressing concern over the South Korean government’s move to separate license fees of publicly-run Korea Broadcasting System(KBS) from household electricity bills.

The statement was released on Thursday by the Global Task Force for public media comprising eight national public broadcasters which include the BBC,  France TV and ZDF of Germany.

The broadcaster chiefs said that the revision of the relevant enforcement ordinance desired by the government will cripple KBS financially, risking its programs and services to South Koreans and leaving it unable to fulfill its mandate.

They said the change will also endanger the very foundation of public service media in the country.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation President and CEO Catherine Tait, who currently chairs the group, said the success of any public media organization depends on sustainable public funding that supports and respects its organizational and editorial independence.

The members said that with the increasing prevalence of disinformation and polarization, now is not the time to weaken one of democracy's greatest strengths – independent, viable public media that are trusted sources of accessible and verified news and information.

The government in Seoul is seeking to separate the license fee of two-thousand-500 won, or under two U.S. dollars, per month for public broadcasting from electricity bills, which have been bundled since 1994.