"Too Noisy" 'Please Vote for Candidate OO' Campaign Vehicle Noise Stress

Official Election Campaign Begins on the 15th
Despite Amendments to the Public Official Election Act, 'Noise Regulation' Remains Challenging
Safety Issues Including Vehicle Accidents and COVID-19 Infections Also Raised

On the 15th, the official campaign for the 20th presidential election began, and banners of Lee Jae-myung (in numerical order), the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate, were hung near Dongnimmun in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Since the official campaign for the 20th presidential election began, incidents and accidents have been nonstop. Citizens have complained of fatigue due to loud noise from loudspeakers used during rallies, and safety issues such as campaign vehicle overturning accidents have also surfaced. Additionally, concerns have been raised that the large crowds gathering wherever presidential candidates appear could increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.

The official presidential election campaign for the election scheduled on March 9 began on the 15th. According to the National Election Commission, the official campaign will be held for 22 days from midnight on that day until midnight on the day before the election, April 8.

With the full-scale campaign underway, noise from candidates promoting their pledges and campaign vehicles roaming throughout the city have increased. Campaign vehicles of each presidential candidate gather in areas with heavy foot traffic, competing by turning on loudspeakers, leading to ongoing citizen complaints.

A 20-something job seeker, Mr. A, said, "When a campaign vehicle carrying the candidate’s speech passes by, it’s so loud that my ears ring, and the campaign staff shout even louder. It’s too noisy every time I pass the station. Since the presidential candidates’ campaign vehicles are clustered together, I can’t tell if they’re campaigning or just shouting. Isn’t there a decibel standard?"

On the 11th, about a month before the 20th presidential election, campaign vehicles for Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, are being produced at Media Max, a vehicle advertising company in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
Paju ? Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Noise problems during the campaign period have been a chronic issue every election season. The Constitutional Court also ruled that the Public Official Election Act, which does not set noise regulation standards, is unconstitutional.

In January 2020, the Constitutional Court stated, "Election noise will inevitably occur during all types of public elections, including presidential, National Assembly, local council, local government head, superintendent of education elections, and by-elections. It cannot be taken lightly," adding, "Prolonged exposure to noise generated by high-output loudspeakers causes stress, leading to emotional instability, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia, and other mental and physical harm, potentially disrupting daily life."

In response, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the election law on December 31 last year, expanding the allowed usage time and decibel (dB) output of loudspeakers. However, the enforcement date is April 1, so the related regulations will not apply to this presidential election. Therefore, only existing time restrictions apply, making noise regulation difficult.

According to the amended Public Official Election Act, for presidential or metropolitan/provincial governor elections, vehicle loudspeakers are allowed a rated output of 40 kilowatts and a sound pressure level of up to 150 decibels. According to the National Noise Information System, 120 decibels is roughly equivalent to the noise of a fighter jet taking off or landing. Because the noise standard is so high, even when regulations are enforced later, citizens are likely to experience discomfort similar to before.

On the first day of the official campaign, accidents involving campaign vehicles also occurred one after another. A campaign vehicle of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, overturned, injuring the driver and two passengers. The Busan Police Agency reported that the campaign vehicle collided with the ceiling of an underground passage with a height restriction, and they are investigating the circumstances. If there had been bystanders nearby, it could have led to a major accident.

Also, on the 15th in Cheonan, Chungnam Province, two people died and one was critically injured in an incident suspected to be carbon monoxide poisoning on Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party candidate’s campaign bus, which was parked. According to the police, the driver and the People’s Party’s Nonsan, Gyeryong, Geumsan regional campaign committee chairman were found unconscious at 5:24 p.m. and were taken to the hospital but eventually died.

The vehicle involved was a 45-seat bus equipped with a large LED screen for campaigning. The police, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, and Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a joint inspection and concluded that carbon monoxide was generated during the operation of a self-generating device installed in the bus’s luggage compartment to power the screen, which then spread inside the bus.

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is appealing for support at the 'JM is Gangnam Style!' election campaign held near Gangnam Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 16th. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Meanwhile, the rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases is another source of anxiety for street campaigns. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the 17th, there were 93,135 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 1,645,978. The number of critically ill patients rose sharply by 76 from the previous day (313) to 389. After maintaining around 200 critically ill patients since the end of last month, the number has turned upward, rising back to the 300 range on the 14th (306).

Despite this situation, presidential candidates continue street campaigns nationwide. Candidate Lee campaigned in Busan, candidate Yoon in Seoul, candidate Ahn in Daegu, and Shim Sang-jung of the Justice Party began official campaigns starting in Iksan, Jeonbuk, drawing crowds of up to several thousand at the sites. With party members and supporters densely packed at campaign sites where presidential candidates appear, concerns about large-scale COVID-19 infections have been raised.

Experts emphasize the need to establish standards to reduce various inconveniences such as noise during election campaigns. They also analyze that the reason for pushing ahead with campaigns despite risks like COVID-19 spread is to further expand their voter base.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon explained, "When a campaign 'bandwagon effect' occurs, undecided voters may shift their support toward a particular candidate," adding, "As the competition heats up on-site, noise levels rise significantly, causing citizen discomfort. The noise regulations in the amended Public Official Election Act are too broad to be effective. The regulations need to be strengthened."