Police Find 89 Online Postings That Violate Election Laws

The National Police Agency (NPA) asked the National Election Commission (NEC) to delete pro-North Korean postings condemning the Grand National Party from the domestic websites of pro-North Korean groups, claiming that they violate South Korean election laws.

According to Rep. Lee Sang-bae of the GNP, a member of the National Assembly`s Government Administration and Local Autonomy Committee, he confirmed from the NEC and the NPA on Wednesday that the NPA found 89 pro-North Korean online postings criticizing the GNP on Korean websites from June 22, 180 days before the presidential election, to October 22.

This is the first time the NPA has asked the NEC to remove pro-North Korean postings on charges of election law violations.

Forty-eight of the postings were found on the website of the Solidarity for Practice of the South-North Joint Declaration, 13 were found on the People’s Solidarity for Progress website, 11 were found on the Democratic Labor Party website, and six were found on the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions website.

Most of the postings are commentaries from the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front, which is known as the vanguard of Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland of North Korea. Some of the writings bluntly criticize the GNP, saying, “(GNP presidential candidate) Lee Myung-bak is making a frantic, last-ditch effort to restore pro-U.S. authoritarian rule. If the GNP steals power, the age of ‘Yushin’ dictatorial governments will resurface.”

No one is allowed to post articles supporting or criticizing a certain candidate starting 180 days prior to the election until election day, according to Article 93 of the Public Offices Election Law.

ditto@donga.com