Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Committee: "Is Andong City Hall Officials’ Misconduct Personal or Organizational Election Involvement?"... Urges Mayor Kwon Gichang to Clarify

Senior Officials Reported for Election Law Violations

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee stated in a press release on January 9, "The Andong City Election Commission has reported two senior officials from Andong City Hall to investigative authorities on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act for allegedly being involved in recruiting members for a particular political party." The committee added, "Andong Mayor Kwon Gichang must not remain silent on this matter."

Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee emphasized, "Political neutrality of public officials is a fundamental principle of public office clearly stipulated by the Constitution and the law. Allegations that public officials with administrative authority have participated in political party activities go beyond undermining trust in the administration; they fundamentally threaten the fairness of democracy." The committee further stated, "The involvement of senior officials reveals a structural problem that cannot be dismissed as an individual’s misconduct."

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee asserted, "Now that suspicions have been raised about mobilizing public officials, Mayor Kwon Gichang cannot be free from responsibility in this case. As the person in charge of overseeing the administrative organization, he has a duty to clarify before the citizens whether this was an individual’s deviation or if there was organizational involvement or acquiescence."

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee continued, "Mayor Kwon Gichang must not remain silent on this issue or shift responsibility onto lower-ranking officials. Through immediate internal inspection and audit, he must clearly explain how the obligation for political neutrality among public officials has actually been managed in administrative practice." The committee added, "The Election Commission’s decision to refer the case to investigative authorities is an institutional response to uphold fair election order. Investigative authorities must thoroughly investigate all related allegations, regardless of position or rank, and hold those responsible strictly accountable according to the law and principles if any violations are confirmed."

The Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee declared, "We will not tolerate any acts that undermine fair election order or administrative neutrality. We will hold those responsible fully accountable for any misconduct or suspicions of organizational involvement, and will steadfastly fulfill our role in restoring citizens’ trust in the administration."