Local Governments Struggling with 'Hyeonsumak Politics'

Next Year's Local Election Candidates' Reckless Banner Posting... Flood of Complaints

[Jeonju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho] Ahead of next year's local elections, Jeonbuk local governments are repeatedly troubled by candidates' 'banner politics.'

Those considering running for office indiscriminately hang banners on various anniversaries and holidays, forcing local governments not only to deal with a flood of complaints but also to spend considerable costs on removal.

Although voters are skeptical about these banners, it is expected that banner politics will become more rampant as face-to-face contact becomes difficult due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, raising urgent calls for countermeasures.

On the occasion of the 76th Liberation Day, banner postings by politicians considering running next year surged recently in the Jeonbuk region.

Banners were posted indiscriminately in places with heavy pedestrian or vehicle traffic, as well as along roadsides and sidewalks, causing residents to frown.

The banners were filled with phrases recalling the meaning of Liberation Day or encouraging the public amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. However, most banners included the candidate's photo, position, and career, leading the majority of voters to see them merely as a means to raise name recognition.

Recently, banners asking for participation in selecting a single candidate for the Democratic Progressive Education Superintendent have also been spotted in various locations.

This 'banner politics' has become rampant as COVID-19 shows no signs of abating, causing local governments to suffer from a flood of complaints from residents.

Complaints state that the banners posted everywhere cause inconvenience to pedestrians, expose them to accident risks, and even obstruct drivers' visibility.

An official from a township office in Wanju-gun said, "Residents are flooding us with requests to immediately remove banners put up by politicians on various anniversaries," adding, "We are overwhelmed responding to two to three times the usual number of complaints every day."

Accordingly, Wanju-gun launched a large-scale banner removal campaign on the 17th, after the Liberation Day holiday, focusing on Bongdong-eup, Samnye-eup, and Iseo-myeon, where banners were heavily posted.

Similar situations are reported in other local governments such as Jeonju City.

Nevertheless, environmental departments in Jeonbuk local governments, including Wanju-gun, are already expressing concerns about the upcoming Chuseok holiday next month, as it is obvious that candidates' 'banner politics' will flare up once again.

The Jeonbuk Provincial Party of the Democratic Party of Korea is also troubled by complaints about the banners.

Many complaints overwhelmingly demand immediate removal of banners posted along roadsides, citing that they obstruct children's passage or cause injuries.

A Jeonbuk Provincial Party official said, "We are troubled by the many complaints from voters," and added, "We are asking party members preparing for next year's election to refrain, but we also understand their eagerness to raise their profile, so it is a dilemma."

In response, a candidate said, "It is important for political newcomers to imprint their faces and names on voters," and lamented, "With face-to-face contact limited due to COVID-19, banners are the only reliable means."

According to Article 67 of the current Public Official Election Act, "Candidates may post banners up to twice the number of eup, myeon, and dong within the electoral district for election campaigning," but there are no separate regulations regarding banner postings by prospective candidates. However, banners posted more than 180 days before the election date must not contain election-related content.

A local political source said, "The weight of discarded banners from the 21st National Assembly election held in 2020 reached a total of 1,739 tons," and warned, "Besides resource waste, politicians should prioritize voters' perspectives and adopt strategies to raise recognition through SNS and other means instead of indiscriminate 'banner politics.'"

Jeonju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho stonepeak@asiae.co.kr

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