[Reporter’s Notebook] Nam-gu District Office’s Banner Crackdown in Gwangju Backfires

Min Chanki / Honam News Bureau Reporter

Minki Min, reporter at The Asia Business Daily Honam Coverage Headquarters.

Recently, the issue of installing banners and streamers has become a central topic of debate in the local community, particularly in Nam-gu, Gwangju. While it is common for rival candidates to engage in mudslinging and spread rumors during election season, this situation has been unusually confusing, as it involves a series of unprecedented events.

The controversy began with banners and streamers promoting Nam-gu Mayor Kim Byungnae's book launch event, which were displayed throughout Nam-gu, Gwangju. Ahead of the June 3 local elections, the Nam-gu District Office declared a "zero tolerance" policy for political banners. In practice, the district office targeted banners installed by specific candidates and carried out large-scale removal operations. The crackdown intensified around the date of the candidate's book launch event.

The Nam-gu District Office went even further by including large banners on the exterior walls of candidate campaign offices-typically considered a routine practice during election season-in its enforcement efforts. From a strictly legal standpoint, there is little to dispute. However, due to the district office's strong stance of "not tolerating illegal activities," many candidates ended up receiving fines ranging from several hundred thousand to as much as ten million won.

The problem arose from the district office's inconsistent enforcement standards, which seemed to fluctuate arbitrarily, fueling controversy. In the midst of this sweeping crackdown, hundreds of banners and streamers announcing "Mayor Kim Byungnae's Book Launch Event" were displayed throughout Nam-gu, Gwangju. In reality, the mayor, taking advantage of his incumbency, was actively engaging in a form of "banner politics" that cleverly skirted the law under the guise of legality.

This led to accusations of unfairness. Unsurprisingly, many candidates who were penalized for simply hanging banners voiced their frustration. Basic complaints such as "Why is it allowed for some but not for others?" were raised in various quarters.

The Nam-gu District Office stated that "there were no legal violations and procedures were followed," but internally, it became clear that they were unsure whether these actions constituted a legal issue. In fact, it seemed they may have preferred not to know.

As debate over legal interpretations grew within the local political scene, it was belatedly revealed that Nam-gu only requested an authoritative interpretation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on January 14, inquiring whether book launch event streamers could be considered acts of cultural or artistic promotion. This was more than a week after the streamers had already been posted. The incident was seen as a prime example of unfairness, with strict standards applied to rival candidates and boundless leniency shown to the mayor, their superior.

When fairness is compromised in matters of law and principle, conflict inevitably intensifies. This is especially true when the issue becomes politicized, as the resulting side effects can be severe. Observers agree that candidates should compete based on policy, not outdated banner wars. If not, this controversy will be remembered by residents as a case of self-inflicted harm.