The Busan City Election Commission has announced that it will strengthen its efforts to prevent and crack down on illegal activities surrounding the Lunar New Year holiday, ahead of the first nationwide Saemaul Geumgo Chairman Election and the Busan City Superintendent of Education by-election.
With two elections approaching, there is an increased concern over illegal activities such as providing gifts or engaging in pre-election campaigning under the guise of holiday greetings to raise the recognition of prospective candidates and expand their support base.
In response, the Busan Election Commission is conducting guidance and preventive activities such as visiting meetings and distributing informational materials to prospective candidates, preliminary candidates, and related organizations. Despite these efforts, if serious election crimes like “money elections” occur, they will apply a zero-tolerance policy, taking strict actions such as filing complaints.
Voters also need to pay attention. If they receive gifts or meals that violate the Public Official Election Act or the Entrusted Election Act, they could face a fine of 10 to 50 times the amount received, up to a maximum of 30 million won.
A representative from the Busan Election Commission stated, “We will maintain an emergency contact system for reporting and receiving complaints even during the holiday. If any illegal activities are discovered, reporting to number 1390 can lead to a reward of up to 500 million won, following the decision of the Reward Review Committee.”