"Will the Changwon Mayoral By-Election Be Held in October?... Changwon Seongsan Election Commission Sends Survey Official Letter"

The Seongsan District Election Commission in Changwon, Gyeongnam, has sought opinions regarding the by-election for the Changwon Special Mayor, which was necessitated by a confirmed ruling that invalidated the previous election result.

On the 10th, the Changwon Seongsan Election Commission sent official documents to local institutions and party offices, requesting their cooperation in submitting resolutions regarding whether to hold a by-election for the Changwon mayoral seat.

The by-election for the Changwon mayor, who was dismissed on the 3rd, is technically scheduled for the second half of this year. However, according to special provisions, it is customary not to hold an election if the remaining term is less than one year until the next local elections in June of the following year.

Gyeongnam Election Commission. Photo by Lee Seryoung

Article 35, Paragraph 1, Subparagraphs (b) and (c) of the Public Official Election Act stipulate that by-elections or re-elections for the head of a local government, if the reason for holding the election is confirmed between September 1 of the previous year and the end of February, must be held on the first Wednesday of April; if confirmed between March 1 and August 31, they must be held on the first Wednesday of October.

Additionally, Article 201, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act states that a by-election may not be held if the period from the election date to the expiration of the term is less than one year.

The Election Commission stated, "If the period from the election date to the expiration of the term is less than one year, a by-election may not be held," adding, "We are seeking opinions to use as reference materials for deciding whether to hold the election."

Responses to the official document are due by 3 p.m. on the 11th, and the Election Commission plans to use the collected responses for discussions on whether to proceed with the by-election.

According to the Election Commission, if the Changwon mayoral by-election is held this October, the elected candidate will serve a relatively short term until the next nationwide local elections.

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