Chungnam, Intensive Inspection of Public Officials' 'Election Interference Acts'

by Jeong Ilwoong

Published 18 Apr.2022 08:17(KST)

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province will intensively inspect election-related misconduct by public officials ahead of the "8th Nationwide Local Elections" on June 1.

The province announced on the 18th that until the 31st of next month, it will inspect local public officials for activities such as ▲promoting candidates' achievements ▲participation in election planning ▲interference in elections ▲providing administrative data ▲third-party donations ▲supporting or opposing posts on social media related to elections.

If election interference is detected during the inspection, strong measures will be taken, including referring the case to the prosecution and police for investigation. The province's policy is to strictly punish any acts that undermine political neutrality, regardless of intent or negligence.

The Public Official Election Act stipulates that if a public official violates the duty of neutrality, they may face imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 20 million won. Those who are prohibited from election campaigning but participate in such activities may face imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 6 million won.

Separately from the province's inspection activities, the Provincial Audit Committee has also established and operates an "Anonymous Reporting Center for Public Official Election Corruption" on its website to receive reports of public officials' election interference.

Kim Jong-young, Chairman of the Provincial Audit Committee, said, "Neutrality of public officials in elections is not optional but essential for fair elections," and added, "We will do our best to act as watchdogs to prevent election interference by public officials and any laxity in public service discipline."