Lee Won-seok Orders "Strict Response to Even Minor Election Violence from the Start"

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Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok instructed strict measures against election violence, including terrorism targeting politicians, 65 days before the 22nd general election.

On the morning of the 5th, at the nationwide election-dedicated chief prosecutors' meeting held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Prosecutor General Lee stated, "Recently, crimes involving attacks on politicians with weapons have occurred repeatedly, and even crimes with the nature of copycat offenses are being predicted to spread. Therefore, we must be vigilant and sensitively prepare ahead of the general election." He urged, "Regarding violence targeting candidates, election campaign workers, and election office personnel during the election process, even minor 'election violence' must be dealt with strictly from the outset to do our utmost to prevent and curb the spread of election violence."

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok. / Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

Prosecutor General Lee emphasized, "In a democratic republic, under a liberal democratic system and the rule of law, violence cannot be justified for any reason." He pointed out, "Especially, terrorism against politicians who regularly meet voters ahead of elections is a serious crime that undermines the essence of the election system and destroys the foundation of democracy."

He explained, "In criminology, the phenomenon where leaving broken windows unattended leads to worsening crimes such as theft or vandalism is called the 'Broken Windows Theory.'" He added, "During the election process, simple illegal acts like damaging election posters, tearing banners, or mutual slander among supporters, when combined with hatred that regards opponents not as coexisting competitors but as enemies to be eliminated, can quickly escalate into violence or more serious illegal acts."

Prosecutor General Lee also called for strict responses to fake news and swift, fair investigations into election-related offenses.

He stated, "The harm caused by the spread of false information, fake news, and black propaganda is severe as it distorts public opinion in a short period. However, due to limitations in time and means to respond, it is difficult to restore the truth, and even if corrected, it is often too late." He emphasized, "Therefore, to prevent false information, fake news, and black propaganda from influencing election results, it is necessary to promptly ascertain the facts and strictly hold those responsible accountable."

Prosecutor General Lee noted, "Since significant changes in criminal justice procedures in 2021 and 2022, the proportion of election cases processed just before the statute of limitations expired has been very high in presidential, local, and simultaneous cooperative elections." He said, "If cases are not handled thoroughly due to the statute of limitations, the damage ultimately returns to the sovereign people. Please keep this in mind and cooperate actively with the election commission, police, and election office personnel from the early stages of incidents to handle election crimes swiftly and strictly."

Finally, Prosecutor General Lee urged, "During the investigation and trial of election cases, we must maintain political neutrality and fairness, performing our duties solely based on evidence and legal principles." He added, "We must examine ourselves to ensure there is no doubt about fairness, review once more, and continuously refine our stance."

At the meeting, 60 chief prosecutors dedicated to election cases from prosecution offices nationwide, responsible for investigating and trying election offenses, attended.

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