"Don't Even Press 'Like' on Social Media"...Calls for Strict Neutrality Among Public Officials as Presidential Election Nears

Seoul District Offices Strongly Urge Public Officials to Avoid Actions That Could Raise Concerns About Election Neutrality
Ko Kidong, Acting Minister of the Interior and Safety, Sends Official Letter Reminding All Public Officials of Their Duty to Remain Neutral During the Election

"With the June 3 presidential election now just 21 days away, I am urging local government officials to strictly uphold fairness and neutrality in the election," said a deputy head of a district office in Seoul on the afternoon of May 13 during an interview with a reporter.

The official added, "We are even instructing staff not to press 'like' on posts on social media."

This caution appears to stem from a past incident in which a public official was punished for pressing 'like' on a social media post a few years ago.

On May 2, Ko Kidong, the Vice Minister and Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, sent an official letter to all administrative agencies, stating, "Public expectations for fairness in this presidential election, which is being held due to a vacancy in the presidency, are higher than ever. For this reason, the role of public officials supporting the election on the front lines is crucial. I ask you to thoroughly maintain fairness and neutrality, and to carry out all legally mandated election duties without any setbacks."

The government also announced that it will actively support the execution of legally mandated election duties to ensure that this election is conducted cleanly and fairly. In addition, the government emphasized that it will strictly prevent and crack down on illegal electioneering and violations of election neutrality.

While these official directives are important, the parties contesting the election are putting everything on the line, and are making every effort to avoid even the slightest controversy regarding fairness.

It is also reported that district offices in Seoul are refraining from holding events during the election period as much as possible, and are urging staff to avoid giving gifts and similar actions.