[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The National Revolutionary Dividend Party (Dividend Party), which includes candidates with prior sex crime convictions, is facing controversy for receiving the Women's Recommendation Subsidy.
On the 30th, the Central Election Commission announced that it paid 842,007,960 KRW to the Dividend Party as the Women's Recommendation Subsidy. According to Article 26 of the Political Funds Act, the Election Commission only provided the subsidy to parties that met the standard of having at least 30% (76 out of 253) female candidates in nationwide constituencies, which the Dividend Party satisfied.
The Women's Recommendation Subsidy system is designed to incentivize parties that nominate a significant number of female candidates for constituency seats. Parties that nominate women for 30% or more of the total constituency seats can receive the full subsidy. If no party meets the 30% threshold, the subsidy is distributed based on a comprehensive assessment of the female nomination ratio, number of parliamentary seats, and election vote share. The Dividend Party, led by Representative Heo Kyung-young, nominated 77 female candidates, one more than the required 76, thus securing the entire subsidy.
However, netizens view the Dividend Party unfavorably due to the presence of candidates with sex crime records. Candidate Jo Man-jin, running in Jeonnam Naju-Hwasun, has a prior conviction for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (sexual assault of a minor), and candidate Ahn Jong-gyu, running in Gyeongnam Gimhae-eul, also has convictions including violating the same act (forcible molestation).
An Election Commission official stated, "The Women's Recommendation Subsidy is provided when a certain percentage of female candidates are nominated. We paid it according to the law," adding, "We cannot review the backgrounds of individual candidates."
Representative Heo said in an interview with MBC on the same day, "80 million KRW suddenly came into our bank account," and added, "I was unaware of the Women's Recommendation Subsidy." Regarding candidates with sex crime records, he said, "These are not professional sexual assaults but disputes between parties."
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