Gimhae City Faces Election Law Violation Allegations Over 'Mayor-Signed Postcards and Roll Cakes' on Memorial Day ... Democratic Party Calls for Investigation

Controversy continues over alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act after the city of Gimhae in Gyeongnam distributed roll cakes and postcards signed by the mayor to attendees of the 70th Memorial Day ceremony on June 6.

On June 23, members of the Democratic Party in the Gimhae City Council held a press conference at the City Hall press center, calling for a thorough investigation into the matter.

The council members argued, "Distributing postcards bearing the mayor's name and gifts to bereaved families and citizens immediately after the Memorial Day ceremony constitutes an act of donation under the Public Official Election Act and can be seen as illegal pre-election campaigning."

They continued, "We cannot accept Gimhae City's explanation that this matter was handled solely by the department head and is unrelated to the mayor," adding, "This is a reckless act that misuses taxpayers' money for electioneering and a ploy to protect Mayor Hong Taeyong."

They further demanded, "The Gimhae Election Commission must conduct a thorough investigation into Mayor Hong's alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act, and Mayor Hong must faithfully cooperate with the commission's investigation."

The Democratic Party members of the Gimhae City Council in Gyeongnam are urging an investigation into allegations of violations of the Public Official Election Act concerning items distributed during the Memorial Day ceremony. Photo by Lee Seryung

Previously, on June 6, Gimhae City held the Memorial Day ceremony at the Gimhae Memorial Tower, attended by Mayor Hong Taeyong, the local National Assembly member, provincial and city council members, heads of related organizations, leaders of veterans' groups, national merit recipients and their families, and citizens?a total of about 900 people.

On that day, the city prepared and distributed approximately 1,300 roll cakes, each worth about 9,000 won, as commemorative gifts and snacks for the attendees. Thank-you postcards signed by Mayor Hong Taeyong were also handed out.

The postcards included the phrase, "We will not forget the noble sacrifices of our patriotic ancestors," along with the message, "In commemoration of the Month of Patriots and Veterans, we express our deep gratitude and respect for your great service to the nation. We wish you good health and happiness for your family."

At the bottom of the postcard was the signature, "June 2025, Gimhae Mayor Hong Taeyong."

The fact that these postcards were distributed together with the roll cakes led to suspicions that Mayor Hong had violated the Public Official Election Act by distributing goods ahead of next year's local elections. The Gimhae Election Commission received a report on the incident and has launched an investigation.

Article 113 of the Public Official Election Act prohibits local government heads or candidates from providing goods or food in their own name.

However, Article 47 of the Election Act Management Rules specifies that organizing or sponsoring commemorative events on various anniversaries, as well as providing ceremonial gifts by the local government on such occasions, are exceptions to election law violations as stated in the operational guidelines.

According to the city, the Gimhae Election Commission summoned officials from the relevant department for questioning on June 11, and conducted a written investigation of Mayor Hong on June 16. The city has already submitted all relevant documents, including official correspondence and event plans.

A city official explained, "This matter was handled with the approval of the department head," and added, "We did not recognize that providing commemorative gifts as a customary gesture of gratitude to national merit recipients at the Memorial Day event would violate the election law."

The official further explained, "Originally, we provided lunch boxes to attendees, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, we switched to roll cakes. Thank-you postcards were usually sent separately by mail, but since there were complaints from people who did not receive them and criticism that the gesture lacked sincerity, we decided to address these issues this time."

The official also said, "To make it easier for attendees to carry, we placed both the roll cake box and the envelope containing the postcard in a single paper bag," and added, "The gift was from Gimhae City, and the letter was from Mayor Hong Taeyong."

They concluded, "We simply wanted to be more considerate," and stated, "Since the Election Act Management Rules clearly specify that providing gifts on various anniversaries by the local government is an exception to election law violations, we are awaiting the results of the Election Commission's investigation and actions."

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