The presidential office has recommended related ministries revise laws and take measures to collect TV license fees separately from electricity bills.

Senior presidential secretary for civic and social affairs Kang Seung-kyoo announced the suggestion on Monday during a press briefing at the top office, saying that it was the outcome of a public discussion on the collection method for the mandatory TV license fees. 

Kang said that the recommendation has reflected the public’s complaints and calls for change in the combined collection of TV license fees and electricity bills, a method that began three decades ago. 

The country’s public broadcaster KBS has insisted that collecting TV license fees and electricity bills together is the most effective method for funding the broadcaster with minimum costs. 

KBS earlier said in a statement that as a Constitutional Court ruling said, TV license fees are not the payment for watching the broadcaster’s programs, but for funding the public broadcaster to operate and thus is a special charge imposed equally on TV set owners. 

The TV license fee is a quasi-tax used to operate the public broadcaster and is imposed regardless of whether one watches its channels and programs. The payment is included in electricity bills.