From the 15th, Local Government Heads Will Be Restricted from Attending 'Political Events'

Prohibition of Opinion Polls Disclosing Party or Candidate Names

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju Metropolitan City Election Commission announced on the 13th that from the 15th, 60 days before the 21st National Assembly election, until the election day, local government heads are restricted from attending political events such as policy and platform presentations held by political parties or visiting election campaign organizations.

In addition, political parties and candidates are prohibited from conducting opinion polls related to the election under their names.

Local government heads are restricted from ▲ promoting or publicizing the party’s platform, policies, and principles to the electorate ▲ attending any political events held by parties such as current affairs lectures, policy and platform presentations, party member training, or unity meetings ▲ visiting election campaign organizations, election offices, or election contact offices.

However, attending founding, merger, or reorganization meetings and candidate selection meetings, or ceremonially visiting public events held exclusively for party members as a party member, is permitted.

Hosting or sponsoring events by local government heads and affiliated officials is also restricted.

Local government heads and their affiliated public officials cannot host or sponsor cultural lectures, business briefings, public hearings, professional group meetings, sports events, senior citizen events, civil complaint consultations, or various other events.

However, ▲ hosting or sponsoring events as mandated by law ▲ events that cannot achieve their purpose unless held on a specific date or period ▲ relief and recovery efforts for natural disasters, accidents, or other calamities ▲ sponsoring paid cultural lectures or cultural lectures held by community centers ▲ actions to resolve collective or urgent civil complaints are allowed.

Opinion polls related to elections under the names of political parties or candidates are prohibited.

From the 15th until election day, no one may conduct opinion polls related to the election under the name of a political party or candidate (including prospective candidates).

This is intended to prevent political parties or candidates from using opinion polls as a pretext to increase their recognition.

However, internal party primary opinion polls conducted by political parties or opinion polling organizations commissioned by parties or candidates that do not disclose the client and conduct polls under their own name are allowed as long as they do not constitute election campaigning.

The Gwangju Election Commission distributed the booklet “Guidelines on Prohibition of Election Involvement by Public Officials” to local governments and requested that education on the prohibition of election involvement by public officials be strengthened for affiliated public officials and subordinate organizations.

A Gwangju Election Commission official stated, “We will respond strictly to election involvement by public officials,” and added, “The Public Official Election Act stipulates acts that are restricted or prohibited depending on the period, so please be especially careful to inquire about related regulations in advance to avoid disadvantages due to ignorance of the law.”

He also added, “Various inquiries related to elections can be made nationwide by calling 1390 or through the Election Law Information System.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.