Former Mokpo Mayor Park Hong-ryul Referred to Prosecution for Election Law Violation over Party Banner Posting

Party Promotion Ahead of Presidential Election Faces Setbacks Until Next Year's Local Elections

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seunghyun Jeong] Park Hongryul, former Mokpo mayor and chairman of the Open Democratic Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee, has been referred to the prosecution on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

In early September, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, Chairman Park is accused of installing holiday greeting banners marked with ‘Open Democratic Party Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee Chairman’ in various locations around the region.

According to Article 90, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act, the posting of banners intended to influence the election is prohibited from 180 days before the election day until the election day itself.

This is because, ahead of the presidential election scheduled for March 9 next year, specifying the name of a political party or the name/photo of a candidate, or any content that can infer such names, is considered an act that influences the election.

With this referral to the prosecution, Chairman Park faces the risk of imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 4 million won under Article 256 of the Public Official Election Act.

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