Bringing Green Onions, Dior Bags, Sushi to Vote?…Election Commission "Prohibited Items in Polling Stations"

Prohibition of Support or Opposition Speech at Polling Stations
"For Maintaining Order... Please Cooperate"

The National Election Commission reiterated its stance that items such as green onions, which caused controversy during the early voting for the April 10 general election, as well as Japanese shampoo and sushi lunch boxes, cannot be brought into polling stations.

Representative Jo Guk speaking while holding a green onion sign [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 10th, Jo Dong-jin, spokesperson for the National Election Commission, said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' in response to the host's question, "Is it difficult to bring in anything, including green onions, during the main voting process?" that "the same standards apply," adding, "Since election officials cannot verify the purpose of possession for each item, they guide voters to leave such items outside to maintain order."

Supporters of the Democratic Party of Korea are cheering Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, who is campaigning in support of candidate Jo Jae-hee in front of Seokchon Lake, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 7th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the first day of early voting on the 5th, the Election Commission considered green onions as a political expression and banned their entry into polling stations. The opposition immediately protested. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised his voice at a campaign rally, saying, "(The government) is not only 'kalteulmak' (silencing with knives) and 'ipteulmak' (silencing mouths) but now also 'pateulmak' (silencing green onions)." Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party, wrote on Facebook, "I voted with green onions in my heart. 'Green Onion Revolution'." Some voters expressed their dissent by bringing shopping bags labeled 'Dior' to polling stations. The ruling party also countered by highlighting symbolic items such as Japanese shampoo and sushi lunch boxes related to allegations of Lee Jae-myung's misuse of corporate credit cards.

As the 'voting item' war between the ruling and opposition parties escalated, the National Election Commission explained, "The entry of specific items into polling stations is not restricted per se," but added, "If a voter attempts to enter with items that may influence the election, they are guided to leave those items outside the polling station."

According to Article 166 of the Public Official Election Act, it is prohibited to engage in acts supporting or opposing a specific party or candidate or to display signs that may influence the election inside early voting stations or polling stations. Violations are punishable by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 4 million won.

Spokesperson Jo said, "In fact, if political expression is broadly exercised even inside polling stations, it becomes difficult to manage fair elections," and added, "This is an unavoidable measure to prevent possible conflicts, so we ask the public to deeply understand and cooperate."