People Power Party's 'Jjeondangdaehoe' with 'Eok' Sound... "Election Expenses Easily Over 1 Billion Won"

Party Leader Deposit Confirmed at 90 Million Won
Unofficial Expenses Exceed Official Costs

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] The March 8 party convention to elect the new leadership of the People Power Party is already causing a stir with huge costs. This convention, conducted with "100% party member voting," places more importance on "organizational strength" than ever before, and unlike the 2021 convention held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is being held as a large-scale event.

According to the People Power Party on the 12th, the deposit fees to run for this convention are 90 million KRW for the party leader, consisting of 40 million KRW for the preliminary primary and 50 million KRW for the main primary. The deposit for the Supreme Council member candidates is 40 million KRW, and for the youth Supreme Council members, it is 10 million KRW regardless of whether they are inside or outside the National Assembly.

Party Leader Deposit Alone is 100 Million KRW... Non-Refundable Even if Candidate Withdraws

On the 11th, at the People Power Party Central Party Office in Yeouido, Seoul, newly elected party leader candidate Lee Jun-seok and the Supreme Council members are posing at the party convention held to elect the new party leader. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

In the case of the party leader election, the deposit alone amounts to nearly 100 million KRW, but when combined with office rental fees across the country including Seoul, production of campaign materials, and text message sending costs, the numbers grow even larger.

The monthly rent for offices around Yeouido is estimated to range from several million KRW to over 10 million KRW depending on size. Candidates who rented offices from December last year or signed contracts this month must pay several tens of millions of KRW for 2 to 3 months of rent. Some campaigns even rent two or three offices, which further increases rental costs.

Text messages are priced at 20 KRW per message; sending to 800,000 responsible party members costs 16 million KRW per round. Usually, text message transmissions are limited to five rounds, so even sending four rounds exceeds 60 million KRW. Campaign materials also cost several tens of millions of KRW depending on the production company and the number of pages.

These are official expenses, but unofficial costs are also substantial. In politics, unofficial costs are said to be much higher than official ones. A political insider explained, "Every time you visit a region and try to organize and gather people, it costs a lot. Although they say they cannot cover meal expenses during the election period, in order to secure even one vote, they inevitably have to pay. That alone can exceed 100 million KRW." A politician who has participated in a party convention said, "Depending on how and what one chooses to spend, it can easily exceed 1 billion KRW."

Former Leader Lee Jun-seok's Election Cost 30 Million KRW... "Must Have Nationwide Recognition"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There is a precedent of winning an election without engaging in a "money war." Former party leader Lee Jun-seok did not rent an office or send text messages during the last convention. Instead, he used handwritten letters for campaign materials. With this approach, he spent about 30 million KRW on the election. However, this is considered possible only if one has "nationwide recognition." A People Power Party official said, "Lee Jun-seok was frequently on broadcasts, so his face and name were well known, and he was already adept at using social networking services (SNS) like Facebook, which made it possible to run a campaign with a small budget."

Especially since this convention is held at the Jamsil Handball Gymnasium in Seoul, unlike the previous one conducted 'untact' due to COVID-19, costs are inevitably several times higher. The fact that this is the first election conducted with 100% party member voting also plays a role. Um Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, diagnosed, "If you lack recognition, you have to rely on organizational votes, which means gathering people, and that inevitably leads to spending money. It is reverting to a 'money convention'."

Unlike election registration fees, which refund some costs if a certain vote percentage is secured, the deposit is used for election management costs, increasing the burden of running. According to Article 30, Chapter 6 of the People Power Party's "Regulations on the Election of Party Leader and Supreme Council Members," the deposit is used for election management costs, and any remaining amount is allocated as special party dues to the party. Even if a candidate withdraws or registration is invalid, the deposit becomes special party dues.

Once a candidate, they can open a support committee and receive donations, but considering the maximum fundraising limit is 150 million KRW, it is said to be insufficient compared to expenses. A People Power Party official said, "Whether a candidate can raise the maximum amount depends on who they are. Because of these practical issues, even those who want to run for the convention hesitate. Among those who receive 'calls to run,' some are also struggling with these concerns."

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