"Cutting Down Party Banners and Removing Them in a Day" ... Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Urges Countermeasures

The Democratic Party of Korea's Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee urged countermeasures on the 30th, stating, "With the general election just over seven months away, there have been frequent incidents of damage to the Democratic Party's political banners in the Gyeongbuk region."

In a statement released that day, the Democratic Party's Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee reported, "In May, the Andong-Yecheon Regional Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea put up a banner raising suspicions of real estate speculation by a close aide to the mayor of Andong, but it was illegally removed within a day."

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea reported that someone had vandalized a party banner condemning the ocean discharge of contaminated water by cutting out a person's face drawn on it with a knife.

A representative of the Democratic Party's Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee said, "Following a complaint by Kim Wihan, head of the Andong-Yecheon Regional Committee, the police apprehended two suspects through CCTV footage and have sent them to the prosecution."

Additionally, in April, several strings of banners belonging to the Gimcheon City Regional Committee were cut by someone, and in June, all banners related to the abuse of power by the chairman of the Yeongcheon City Council were removed, leading to a police complaint by the Yeongcheon Regional Committee.

The Democratic Party's Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee also stated, "On the 28th, a political banner hung in front of Gangdong Post Office in Gyeongju, which read 'Japan's nuclear wastewater marine dumping atrocity, condemning the Yoon Seok-yeol administration as a 'Japanese sympathizer',' was vandalized, with the face of Han Young-tae, head of the Gyeongju Regional Committee, cut out by someone with a knife."

Han Young-tae, head of the Democratic Party's Gyeongju Regional Committee, said, "This is an act that infringes upon lawful political activities guaranteed by law, and we will respond strongly through police investigations," adding, "As the election season, when many banners are displayed, approaches, we urge the authorities to take strong measures."