Irregularities are Rising as Elections Draw to an End

The final stage of electoral campaigns is increasingly likely to be tampered with by bribes and slanders. The dispute over bribes has been heating up. It is to the point that it has put the anti-money peddling moral of the new election in danger. As of April 11, 514 bribes, 14.7 percent of a total of 3,488 irregularities, were disclosed.

In the city of Pohang, a candidate involved in a bribe scandal accused a rival of his of offering bribes on April 12. At a press conference, non-Grand National Party (GNP) candidates said, “The GNP candidate is marring the campaign with money.” The National Election Commission (NEC) later found an independent candidate, Kim, had offered 320,000 won in meals to voters.

The Dongrae district (NEC) of Busan has brought charges against Lee, a volunteer for a party for offering 280,000 won in meals to 27 alumni on two different occasions in an effort to recruit them as volunteers. The police in the city of Ulsan is investigating a computer programmer known only by his last name Park for taking four million won from five candidates for collecting voters’ email addresses

The Busan district of the Uri Party said in a press release on April 11, “Yu Heung-soo, the GNP regional campaign manager, is under investigation by the police and the NEC for conducting illicit opinion polls.” However, Yu said, “I have never been investigated by the NEC. If the Uri Party does not apologize, I will bring charges against it.”

Lee Cheol, the Uri Party candidate in the Gangseo district of Busan demanded a police inquiry into the beating of his volunteer by people whom he said appeared to be campaign workers for GNP candidate Chung Hyung-geun. However, Chung said, “This is an outmoded slanderous tactic. I will file a complaint with the prosecution against Lee.” Lee Soo-dong, the Uri Party candidate of Ulsan’s Buk district said, “GNP candidate Yun Doo-hwan overlooked public opinion and did not sign a petition as a lawmaker to the government for the launching of a national university in the city of Ulsan.” Yun countered, “The picture of me signing the petition was run by the press.” In this way, reckless slanders continue to take place.

The Incheon district of the GNP pressed charges against the Uri Party candidate in the district for spreading false accusations that the GNP candidate proactively opposed to the special legislation against collaborators of Japanese colonialism. The Uri Party candidate said, “I just said he did not endorse the bill. They are overreacting.”

In Changwon Ul of Gyeongnam province, about 10 complaints and charges are shared between GNP candidate Lee Joo-young and Korea Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon Young-kil over Lee’s allegations related to Kwon’s amassing of fortune.

Seung-Mo Yun ysmo@donga.com