Amendment to the Public Official Election Act Passed Solely by the Democratic Party
People Power Party Boycotts Vote in Protest of Bill Handling
The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee (PASC) has passed a bill to amend the Public Official Election Act, revising the provision on the crime of disseminating false information. The core of the amendment is the removal of the term "act" from the requirements for establishing the offense of disseminating false information under Article 250 of the Public Official Election Act. Recently, the Supreme Court remanded a case involving Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, for a new trial with a guilty verdict in relation to the Public Official Election Act.
On the afternoon of May 7, the PASC held a plenary session and, with only the Democratic Party's participation, passed the amendment to the Public Official Election Act. Currently, Article 250, Paragraph 1 of the Act prohibits the dissemination of false information regarding matters such as birthplace, family relations, occupation, career, property, or acts, through speeches, broadcasts, communications, or other means, for the purpose of winning an election. The amendment, spearheaded by Shin Junghoon, the Democratic Party member who chairs the PASC, seeks to remove "act" from the list of requirements for the dissemination of false information.
Shin Junghoon, Chairman of the National Assembly Administration and Security Committee. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
In political circles, some interpret the Supreme Court's May 1 decision regarding the Democratic Party candidate as being closely connected to this amendment. Among the Supreme Court's rulings, which the Democratic Party claims are legally unjust, the so-called "golf course remark" and "Baekhyeondong remark" by the candidate were interpreted as dissemination of false information about the candidate's acts under Article 250, Paragraph 1 of the election law. If the amendment passes the plenary session and is promulgated, the relevant provision will be deleted, and the candidate could receive a judgment of acquittal due to lack of applicable law. A judgment of acquittal on these grounds means the judiciary has determined that punishment is not possible due to the repeal of the legal provision.
The People Power Party boycotted the vote in protest against the Democratic Party's handling of the bill.
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