Meeting of Ministers Related to Fair Elections
[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seon-hee] Acting Prime Minister Choo Kyung-ho (Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Strategy and Finance) announced on the 17th that "under the close cooperation system between the prosecution and police, illegal election interference crimes that undermine fair elections will be strictly punished" in relation to the 8th nationwide local elections, which are just two weeks away.
Acting Prime Minister Choo presided over the Fair Election Related Ministers' Meeting at the Government Seoul Office Building on the morning of the same day and said, "To ensure the political neutrality of public officials and the military, continuous management will be carried out centered on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Personnel Management, and the Ministry of National Defense." He especially emphasized, "To ensure strict election neutrality of local public officials, I urge the establishment of public service discipline within local governments and will conduct joint public service inspections with city and provincial governments."
Acting Prime Minister Choo stated, "We will focus all our capabilities on supporting safe and fair elections so that this election can be an opportunity to open the 'local era' where people can live well anywhere in the Republic of Korea," adding, "To prevent the recurrence of issues pointed out in the presidential election held in March at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will firmly maintain the cooperation system among the National Election Commission and related ministries and fully support available human and material resources." In this regard, the government has established the 'Fair Election Joint Support Situation Room' at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and is operating an election support system at the pan-government level.
Acting Prime Minister Choo also mentioned that "Regarding the first participation of '18-year-old voters' in this local election, the Ministry of Education will provide guidance to ensure there are no difficulties in exercising their precious voting rights and will support the National Election Commission by establishing a cooperation system with each city and provincial office of education."
Regarding the COVID-19 situation, he said, "Concerns still remain," and added, "According to the National Election Commission's voting measures for confirmed and quarantined individuals, we will meticulously support disinfection at polling stations so that everyone can vote with peace of mind."
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