Prosecution to Clamp down on Illegal Election Campaigning

When reunions of family members or alumni, or other informal gatherings invite presidential candidates, election camp officials, politicians or their family members during the election period from Nov. 27 to Dec. 19, the organizers will be punished in violation of the Election law.

If there is reports on an alumni reunion, the organizer of the union will be investigated by the prosecution or the police to figure out the union is engaged in election campaign.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors` Office (SPPO) delivered the guideline to the regional prosecutor` offices across the nation yesterday.

But this guideline is triggering a controversy since a number of false accusation are expected to cause damage to general year-end meetings that have no link to election campaign.

The prosecution will conduct heightened surveillance on reunions organized by presidential candidates, election camp officials, heads of party chapters, lawmakers, heads of local governments or their family members, reunions whose organizers invite presidential candidates, their family members or election camp officials, and reunions, which are provided with money or souvenirs by politicians or their family members.

Prosecutors will also crack down on illegal organization of reunions in a bid to influence the result of the presidential election.

The SPPO will decide the level of punishment against suspects after examining how deeply the suspects are engaged in illegal election campaign.

But there are some controversies over figuring out whether organizers of reunions violate the Election law in case presidential candidates and their aides pay an unsolicited visit.

An official said that the best way is to refrain from holding reunions of family members of alumni and other informal meetings during the election period as the Election law has yet to be revised. Meanwhile, the prosecution said that it had charged 119 people for illegal campaign activities as of Monday, among whom, 20 were arrested and 58 were under investigation.

People arrested for illegal election campaign activities for the 16th presidential election increased two fold during the same period of the previous election in 1997. Among those arrested, 67 or 56.3% were involved in illegal cyber election campaign.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com