Illegal Election Campaigns Rampant Online... Election Commission Requests Deletion of 73,000 Cases

Korea Election Commission Announces Action Status on the 10th
772 Cases of Election Law Violations with Over 180 Reports and Investigations Requested
73,000 Requests to Delete Election Campaigns Using Information and Communication Networks

On the 9th, one day before the 22nd National Assembly election, election clerks at the counting center set up in the multipurpose badminton gymnasium in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, sealed the ballot sorting machine after completing the final mock test. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

The National Election Commission announced on the 10th that it had detected 722 cases of election law violations as of the previous day. Depending on the severity, 542 cases received warnings or similar measures, 152 cases were reported to the authorities, and 27 cases were referred for investigation. Requests for deletion under the election campaign regulations using information and communication networks (Article 82-4 of the law) totaled 72,964, including 700 from the previous day. Actions related to deepfake videos, etc. (Article 82-8 of the law) included 1 warning, 2 compliance requests, and 384 deletion requests.

Among the cases reported the previous day, in Daegu, a civilian blocked the car of a local government official returning to the office after training as a voting manager at the district/city/county election commission building, and assaulted an election commission official who tried to stop him. In Incheon, a civilian was suspected of distributing printed materials edited and copied from articles favorable to a specific candidate into apartment mailboxes by household.

In Daejeon, a voter demanded the replacement of a ballot incorrectly marked at an early voting station, and upon refusal, tore and damaged their ballot and assaulted the early voting manager and early voting staff. In Chungnam, a candidate’s election staff was suspected of distributing printed materials depicting district and proportional representation ballots marked for the candidate and a different specific party to the offices of local organizations in the area.

The election commission stated that it took action on 316 cases in the review and measures of internet media election coverage, and in the review and measures of election opinion polls, 118 cases were detected, including 26 reports, 2 referrals for investigation, 7 fines, and 83 warnings or similar measures.