Suspicion of Illegal Pre-Election Campaigning by Sancheong-gun Nonghyup Cooperative Head Candidate

The National Election Commission: "Distributing Business Cards Before Official Campaigning
Is Illegal Pre-Election Campaigning"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Ahead of the 3rd nationwide simultaneous cooperative head election to be held on March 8, the election for the head of the Sancheong-gun Nonghyup, the first integrated agricultural cooperative, is showing signs of overheating and confusion.

This year's 3rd nationwide simultaneous cooperative head election will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 8, following a two-day candidate registration period starting February 21, and an official campaign period of 13 days from February 23 to March 7. Pre-election campaigning is strictly prohibited.

Candidate A, who plans to run for the head of Sancheong-gun Nonghyup, is expected to cause a stir as evidence has emerged that he engaged in pre-election campaigning for several months, including handing out 20 to 30 business cards to cooperative member B on October 6 last year, asking for support. Furthermore, reports and circumstances related to A’s pre-election campaigning are spreading continuously.

Business card photo of Mr. A, a prospective candidate for the Nonghyup Cooperative President in Sancheong-gun.

Despite this situation, among the candidates considering running for the Sancheong-gun Nonghyup head election, it has been revealed that on October 6 last year, at the 22nd Sancheong Herbal Medicine Festival held in Geumseo-myeon, candidate A handed out 20 to 30 business cards featuring his photo to cooperative member B, soliciting support and requesting election campaigning assistance, prompting calls for a thorough investigation by the election commission.

According to B, A appealed for support by saying, “Let’s send the elderly home now and let the young people do well among themselves,” and “Please help a lot.”

He added, “A current county council member, who should remain neutral in the cooperative head election, is intervening in the election, appealing for support for candidate A, and engaging in pre-election campaigning.”

Regarding this, candidate A stated to our reporters, “I have never handed out even a single business card nor solicited support or engaged in pre-election campaigning.”

An official from the county election commission said, “If it is a first meeting where the phone number is not even known, simply exchanging greetings and handing over a business card is allowed even before the election campaign period. However, handing out business cards on the premise of running for election or distributing them in bulk while asking for campaign support clearly constitutes illegal pre-election campaigning.”

He added, “If a report is filed or evidence is secured, a proper investigation will be initiated,” and emphasized, “Candidate A’s act of handing out business cards is indeed pre-election campaigning.”

Article 254 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that “Pre-election campaigning conducted by methods other than those prescribed in the Public Official Election Act shall be punished by imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 4 million won, regardless of whether the person eventually runs for office.”

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