Local Government Head Candidates Already Facing 'Illegal Suspicion' Controversy

Gwangju Gwangsan-gu Mayor Candidate A Sets Up Election Office in Electrical Equipment Space

High Risk of 'Illegal Use Change' if Used Without Permission

Candidate A's Side Explains "No Violation of Public Official Election Act... Will Reloca

On the third floor of an outdoor parking lot in a building in Suwan-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, the election office of A, a candidate in the Democratic Party's Gwangsan District Mayor primary, is set up.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] "Who sent you! Who are you? What is your occupation?"

On the afternoon of the 25th, at a district mayor election campaign office in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, a camp official rushed over upon seeing someone taking pictures of a banner featuring a Democratic Party candidate running in the primary with the slogan "Renew Gwangsan, Benefit the Residents."

The official blocked the entrance with their body, saying they could not leave until the photos were deleted, and after taking the ID card, did not return it for several tens of minutes.

One official threatened to report to the police for trespassing, calling the photo-taking of the exterior in a frequently used passageway an unreasonable act.

Usually, election campaign offices are places where residents can freely come and go, so why did they react so angrily?

The side of candidate A, who applied for the Gwangsan District Mayor nomination, reported to the Gwangsan District Election Commission on the 17th of last month that they had established a campaign office in a parking-only building located in Suwan-dong.

This building has a total floor area of 3,153㎡ and three above-ground floors, and candidate A is currently using the third-floor outdoor parking lot and rooftop as the campaign office.

The problem is that the third-floor outdoor parking structure is being used contrary to its intended purpose.

This facility, about 17.05㎡ (approximately 5 pyeong), was originally approved by the local district office as an "electrical equipment space" and was previously used as a guardroom for parking lot management.

While election campaign offices can be set up in one fixed location excluding food service establishments and public hygiene businesses, so it is not a violation of the Public Official Election Act, there is a high possibility of violating the Building Act.

Because it is a "parking-related facility building," using it for other purposes such as a campaign office could be considered an "illegal change of use."

Multiple officials from building departments of various local governments (other regions) and five architectural designers all expressed the opinion that this appears to be an illegal change of use.

One official said, "The responsible public officer needs to go to the site with the floor plan and compare it to be sure, but using it in a way that does not match the approved purpose constitutes an illegal change of use."

The local autonomous district, Gwangsan-gu, currently has a backlog of buildings to inspect and plans to check the site later.

The Gwangsan District Mayor primary is scheduled for the 29th to 30th, and after that, the third-floor campaign office may be closed, making this issue "as if nothing happened."

Moreover, with former Gwangsan District Mayor Kim Sam-ho, who was indicted for illegal party member recruitment during the last local election primary, recently receiving a disqualification sentence from the Supreme Court and the office being run under an "acting system," the emergence of another illegal controversy ahead of this election is not viewed favorably by citizens.

Lee (34), a resident of Gwangju, said, "If even the 'campaign office,' which is a communication channel connecting candidates and voters, is being operated without permission or illegally, that is a big problem," adding, "Citizens want to support candidates with integrity and cannot support those whose compliance spirit is compromised."

He continued, "It seems the local district office would feel psychological pressure to crack down on the camp of a strong mayoral candidate who might become the head of the institution in a month," and expressed concern that "they might delay enforcement while watching the situation."

A Gwangsan-gu official said, "There are too many reports of illegal buildings, so we are handling them in order," and added, "We will take measures to visit the site as soon as possible."

He also said, "Even if a violation of the Building Act is detected, it does not immediately lead to administrative punishment," and "We give the landlord (not the camp) a guidance period to encourage correction."

If the correction order is not carried out within the period, according to Article 80 of the Building Act, a penalty fee equivalent to 10% of the standard market value (officially announced value) of the violating building can be imposed twice or more per year.

The Democratic Party Gwangju Provincial Party also plans to consider penalties during the primary process depending on future administrative actions.

A representative of candidate A said, "We have properly reported the campaign office to the election commission according to the election law," and explained, "If there is a problem, we will immediately consider relocating the office."