Democratic Party and People Power Party Prosecuted for Election Law Violations in Chungnam Provincial Assembly Elections

People Power Party Candidate Jang Dong-hyeok's Illegal Election Banner Installation Receives Written Warning from Seocheon Election Commission
"If Election Commission's Inadequate Investigation Is Revealed, All Related Parties Must Be Strictly Punished"

Regarding the general election held on April 10, a member of the Chungnam Provincial Assembly is suspected of campaigning on the day of voting. The photo shows a Chungnam Provincial Assembly member (right) installing a banner for Jang Dong-hyeok, a candidate from the People Power Party. / Informant

The Democratic Party's Chungnam Boryeong·Seocheon Regional Committee announced on the 1st that it had filed a complaint with the Hongseong Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office against Assemblyman A of the People Power Party and the head of the Seocheon County liaison office on suspicion of violating the Public Official Election Act in relation to the 22nd National Assembly election.

According to Asia Economy's investigation, Assemblyman A and others are reported to have illegally installed election banners of then People Power Party candidate Jang Dong-hyeok in front of the polling station in Pangyo-myeon, Seocheon County, on April 10, the voting day of the 22nd general election.

The Public Official Election Act stipulates that election campaigning is allowed from the start of the election period until the day before the voting day.

However, the Seocheon County Election Commission reportedly recognized the illegal election campaigning by Assemblyman A and others through complaints but only guided Assemblyman A by phone to "remove the banners as it is illegal election campaigning," and then issued a written warning to Assemblyman A on the 24th of the same month.

This has raised suspicions that the Election Commission conducted a lenient investigation regarding Assemblyman A's violation of the Public Official Election Act.

Moreover, the Democratic Party suspects that Assemblyman A, who has experience as a regional aide to Chungnam Governor Kim Tae-heum during his time as a member of the National Assembly and has participated in several elections, knowingly engaged in illegal election campaigning to ensure the election of candidate Jang Dong-hyeok despite being aware that such actions violate the Public Official Election Act.

As a result of the vote, candidate Jang Dong-hyeok led candidate Na So-yeol in Pangyo-myeon, where Assemblyman A is suspected of illegal election campaigning, but in other towns and townships, candidate Na So-yeol was ahead of candidate Jang.

A representative of the Democratic Party's regional committee said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "On the 31st of last month, we filed a complaint against Assemblyman A for violating the Public Official Election Act," adding, "If the prosecution's investigation reveals that the Election Commission conducted a sloppy investigation, all related parties including Assemblyman A should be strictly dealt with according to relevant laws."