Chungnam Election Commission Files Complaint Against Preliminary Candidate for Announcing False Academic Credentials

The Chungnam Election Commission announced on the 18th that it had reported a preliminary candidate, Mr. A, to the Dangjin Police Station for making a false statement about his academic background in connection with the by-election and re-election scheduled for April 2.

According to the Election Commission, Mr. A is accused of providing his profile, which included the experience of serving as a "Director of the B School Alumni Association," to multiple journalists at a press conference in January, despite the fact that he neither entered nor graduated from the relevant school in the constituency where he intends to run. As a result, false information regarding his academic background was published on the website and in the print edition (with a circulation of about 4,000) of a certain media outlet.

According to Article 250, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act (Crime of Making False Statements), anyone who makes a false statement about a candidate's academic background or career for the purpose of getting elected shall be subject to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

The Election Commission stated that making false statements about academic background is a serious crime that undermines voters' fair judgment in choosing candidates, and that it will continue to strictly investigate and take action against such acts.