Yongin Mayor Lee Sangil: "Police Investigation into City Banners Is Politically Motivated and Baseless"

"Election Law Trap on Routine Administrative Action for Citizens' Right to Know...
Damaging the Honor of the City and Its Officials"

Lee Sangil, Mayor of Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, has strongly objected to the police investigation and referral to the prosecution for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act regarding the posting of city banners, calling it a "politically motivated and baseless investigation."

In a statement released on November 6, Mayor Lee said, "Informing citizens through banners about the city's work, such as the lifting of the Songtan Water Source Protection Zone and the groundbreaking of the former Police University site, which was carried out in consultation with the central government and related agencies, was intended to fulfill the citizens' right to know." He added, "This is something that has been done not only during the 7th popularly elected term under a Democratic Party mayor, but even before that."

Mayor Lee emphasized, "This is a routine administrative action also being taken by other local governments," and argued, "It is inappropriate to frame this as an election law violation, and it does not align with the principle of personal responsibility in criminal law."

Mayor Lee's statement comes in response to the end of last month, when the Yongin Eastern Police Station referred Mayor Lee and seven Yongin City officials to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

The police had been investigating suspicions that some towns and districts in Yongin produced banners under the names of affiliated organizations such as sports associations and women's associations to promote Mayor Lee's pledges and achievements. The investigation included a search and seizure of Yongin City Hall on October 10, and the police concluded that Mayor Lee and others had violated election law.

Mayor Lee stated, "Some Democratic Party city council members, motivated by political interests, raised the issue of the banners, and the police, after the change of government, packaged it as if there was a serious legal violation and referred it to the prosecution, leaking it to the media." He continued, "This is the police acting politically to curry favor with the ruling party, and it has damaged the reputation of the city and its officials."

Mayor Lee further pointed out, "Public officials of Yongin City during the 8th popularly elected term have continued to act in accordance with the guidelines approved by the Democratic Party mayor during the 7th term, just as previous city officials did." He questioned, "If the police conduct investigations in such a way that the same administrative action is acceptable at one time but legally problematic at another, how can anyone trust the police?"

Mayor Lee concluded, "The mayor and city officials will continue to focus unwaveringly on the development of the city and the improvement of citizens' quality of life, just as we have always done." He added, "The city will fully cooperate with the prosecution to ensure that the substantive truth is thoroughly and accurately revealed."