Illegal Election Practices Out of Control

With the final registration of the candidates and the start of the campaign in earnest for the upcoming April 13 General Election more irregularities and corruption are expected to be uncovered.

The violation of the Election Law in particular is the hottest potato of all, with five times the amount of cases recorded during the previous election campaign, despite the recent steps to toughen the codes. Some have voiced concern over this trend, fearing that this election might turn out to be the most corrupt in modern Korean history.

Noryangjin police station, Seoul, reported that on March 29, one candidate running for a district was found to have manufactured about 100 wall clocks inscribed with their party logo. The nominee has been charged with having passed out about 70 clocks to members of the public. An investigation is currently underway.

A woman known only as Lee (42) was indicted without detention on March 27 for accepting two wall clocks worth $45 from the above-mentioned candidate who has been charged for bribery.

On the same day Grand National Party candidate Pae Bong-goon (40) running for Ulsan city's Ulju district election was charged for handing out $807 as a bribe. Another GNP campaigner, named as Lee was also arrested for passing $987 to Pae.

Candidate Pae was charged for giving out $90 each to 9 citizens in his house at Samnam.

On March 28 the Central Election Management Commission sent out its first warning to the president of a clan meeting that held a general assembly in a restaurant in Chunggu, Taegu City, referring to the Election Law that forbids the holding of clan meetings during the election season.

It has been reported that more candidates are violating the Election Law as it doesn't hold much weight in punishment.

One CEMC official said "Cases such as displaying unapproved posters and holding rallies without wearing badges have reported on average 7,8 times every day to the CEMC in various districts. The candidates do not seem to think much of the meager fine of $90."

The CEMC branch in the Kumchun-gu area uncovered two election volunteers holding a rally in a side street with pickets carrying photos of a certain nominee on March 28. Each campaigner was fined $90 for the offence.

Andong CEMC in North Kyongsang province, caught a Millennium Democratic Party candidate who tried to distribute 49,000 leaflets of Rep. Kwon's protocol through the post office.

The CEMC announced that it has so far discovered 571 cases of election violations in cyberspace alone, adding up to a total of 2120 cases. Among the cases 85 have been reported to the police and the CEMC is asking them to investigate a further 105 cases. The recent rate of violation is 5.3 times the 398 cases exposed during the last General Election.

by Lee Sang-bok