113 Election Crime Suspects Booked by January in 22nd General Election, 7 Prosecuted... 47 Black Propaganda Offenders

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok has ordered a strict response to election violence, including terrorism against politicians, 65 days ahead of the 22nd general election. As of the 29th of last month, a total of 113 election-related offenders have been booked, with 7 of them indicted.

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 warnings of copycat crimes are spreading. Therefore, we must be alert and sensitive in preparation ahead of the general election." He urged, "Regarding violence targeting candidates, campaign workers, and election office personnel during the election process, even minor 'election violence' must be dealt with strictly from the outset 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 a rule-of-law state, violence cannot be justified for any reason. Especially, terrorism against politicians who regularly meet voters ahead of elections is a serious crime that undermines the essence of the electoral system and destroys the foundation of democracy."

He explained, "In criminology, the phenomenon where leaving broken windows unattended leads to escalating crimes such as theft or vandalism is called the 'Broken Windows Theory.' Similarly, in the election process, simple illegal acts like damaging election posters, tearing down 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 measures against fake news and swift, fair investigations into election-related crimes.

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

Prosecutor General Lee noted, "Since major changes in criminal justice procedures in 2021 and 2022, a very high proportion of election cases related to the presidential election, local elections, and simultaneous cooperative association elections were processed just before the statute of limitations, which is only six months. If cases are not handled thoroughly due to the statute of limitations, the damage ultimately falls on the sovereign people. Therefore, I ask you to cooperate actively with the National Election Commission, police, and election office personnel from the early stages of incidents to ensure swift and strict handling of election crimes."

Finally, Prosecutor General Lee urged, "During the investigation and trial of election cases, you must maintain political neutrality and fairness, performing your duties solely based on evidence and legal principles. You must examine yourselves carefully, review once more, and repeatedly adjust your attitude to ensure there is no doubt about fairness."

The meeting, held from 9:30 a.m. to noon, was attended by 71 people, including 60 chief prosecutors nationwide responsible for investigating and trying election-related offenders.

During the meeting, based on the current status of election offenders and analysis of major investigation cases, the focus was placed on crimes such as ▲election-related violence ▲spread of false information and black propaganda ▲election-related bribery ▲illegal election interference by public officials and organizations. They resolved to establish a thorough election preparedness system for the 22nd National Assembly election scheduled for April 10 and to concentrate all prosecutorial resources on strict responses to related election crimes.

Meanwhile, according to statistics on election offenders for the 22nd National Assembly election released by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that day, as of the 29th of last month, 72 days before election day, a total of 113 people had been booked.

Among them, 7 were indicted, and 21 were dismissed without prosecution. Investigations are ongoing for 85 individuals, and one person is under preliminary investigation. No suspects have been detained in connection with this general election so far.

By crime type, the breakdown was ▲black propaganda 47 people (41.6%) ▲bribery in elections 24 people (21.2%) ▲election violence and obstruction 4 people (3.5%) ▲illegal acts by public officials and organizations 8 people (7.1%) ▲others 30 people (26.6%), showing a significant increase in black propaganda offenders.

Additionally, among the 113 offenders, 98 (including 23 reported by the National Election Commission) were reported through complaints or accusations, accounting for 86.7%, while 15 offenders (13.3%) were detected by other means, showing a pattern similar to past elections.

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