Extending Restriction on Eligibility for Election over Nomination Bribes from 10 to 20 Years... People Power Party Lawmaker Cho Jiyeon Proposes Election Act Amendment

People Power Party lawmaker Cho Jiyeon (Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province) announced on February 25 that she had sponsored an amendment to the Public Official Election Act to extend the period of restriction on eligibility for election from the current 10 years to 20 years in order to eradicate nomination bribes.

Under the current law, the giving and receiving of money or valuables in connection with a political party's candidate recommendation is prohibited, and violations are punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of between 5 million won and 30 million won. In addition, anyone for whom a fine has been finalized is restricted from eligibility for election for 10 years thereafter.

People Power Party lawmaker Cho Jiyeon

However, in recent years, suspicions of money-for-nomination deals have been repeatedly raised during candidate nomination processes, and in some cases these suspicions have been found to be true, leading to ongoing controversy over the transparency and fairness of the nomination process. At a plenary session of the National Assembly, a motion to arrest lawmaker Kang Sunwoo, who had an arrest warrant requested on charges of receiving 100 million won in nomination kickbacks, was passed.

The proposed amendment raises the level of punishment to up to 10 years in prison or a fine of between 20 million won and 70 million won, and restricts eligibility for election for 20 years for anyone sentenced to a fine, a suspended sentence, or imprisonment. The aim is to eradicate the illegal exchange of money and valuables that continues to occur in the candidate nomination process.

Lawmaker Cho said, "This amendment is an institutional reform aimed at restoring trust across the political sphere," adding, "Buying and selling nominations is an act that undermines the very foundation of democracy and must be rooted out," and, "We will ensure the swift passage of the amendment so that nomination bribes cannot take hold in our society."

Meanwhile, lawmaker Cho has been at the forefront of political reform legislation, including sponsoring an amendment to the Public Official Election Act that bans de facto fundraising publication events held under the guise of book launch celebrations, and an amendment to the Act on Allowances for National Assembly Members and Their Aides that mandates the full recovery of salaries and activity expenses from lawmakers whose sentence of imprisonment or heavier punishment has been finalized.