Latest news with #PublicOfficialsElectionAct
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
From 'election rigging watcher' to repeat vote attempts, confusion and commotion on election day
54 disturbances reported in Seoul area alone during presidential election As Koreans went to the polls to select the next leader on Tuesday, 54 minor incidents related to the election process were reported to the police in Seoul from the time the voting booths opened at 6 a.m. to noon. In one such incident, two men and one woman came to the voting booth installed at an elementary school in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul at around 8:53 a.m., dressed in red and left a red balloon with the message "President Kim Moon-soo" at the entrance. Red is the color representing the People Power Party and its candidate Kim. Officials of the National Election Commission removed the balloons, citing violation of the Public Officials Election Act that bans public support of certain candidate from 100 meters within the election booth. A 56-year-old woman in another Seocho-gu voting booth reported an election law violation, in which NEC officials were found to have stamped the ballots with the NEC mark before handing them to the voters. Officials said they had marked the ballots in advance in case they were overwhelmed by a massive influx of voters in the booth. In the northern region of Seoul in Gangbuk-gu, a woman in her 60s insisted on checking the voters list to see if her name had been removed, after she had already participated in the early voting process. Many supporters of the People Power Party, to which ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol belonged until he left it last month, have shared the views by the disgraced former leader that several of the past elections have been rigged in favor of the liberal bloc. The claim, despite never being proved despite several investigations under the authority of Yoon himself, has sparked suspicion among some voters that such manipulation would occur during the presidential election. A 60-year-old Seoul resident was seen counting the voters entering the polling station set up in Choongam High School, Yoon's alma mater in Seoul. Standing outside the station since 6 a.m., he said he was not affiliated with any organization but is personally making sure that no unlawful activities occur. In the neighboring city of Jecheon of Gyeonggi Province, a voter said that that one was marked as having already voted despite not voting yet. The records show that the voter had already received a ballot, and the NEC officials — who refused to reveal the detailed information on the matter — are checking to see if the voter's claim is true. Election officials on Jeju Island caught two residents who tried to cast ballots on Tuesday, despite having already participated in the early voting last week. Attempting to vote multiple times is subject to up to five years in prison or a 10 million won ($7,250) fine.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
New president to take office immediately
New leader to begin five-year term with Yoon's Cabinet and Yongsan office — for now The winner of Tuesday's presidential election is to assume office immediately following the confirmation of the electoral results by the National Election Commission, likely on Wednesday morning, taking over from acting President Lee Ju-ho, who has led the country in a caretaker capacity. The by-election to fill the vacancy in the nation's top office became necessary after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in December and the Constitutional Court upheld his removal in April. As such, the new leader will start his five-year term with a Cabinet appointed by the ousted predecessor and in the Yongsan office in central Seoul, the much-disputed site of relocation chosen by Yoon. The Public Officials Election Act states that the winner of a presidential by-election shall commence his or her term immediately after the win is confirmed, which would be during the general assembly of the National Election Commission on Wednesday morning. In normal circumstances, a state-funded transition team assists the president-elect in affairs related to the new administration, such as forming a Cabinet, preparing policies and other matters related to the takeover. In the case of the 2017 election on May 9, 2017 — the first-ever presidential by-election after the direct election system was implemented in 1987 — Moon Jae-in's win was confirmed at around 8:09 a.m. on May 10. His inauguration took place at noon that day, although it was only a formality, given his term had already started the moment the NEC confirmed his win. The political turmoil following Yoon's martial law imposition late last year not only led to his own early departure from office, it set off a series of resignations at the ministerial level, including two key positions of the Cabinet: the prime minister and the finance minister, who are next in line in the order of presidential succession. The third in line, Education Minister Lee thus assumed the role of acting president, prime minister and finance minister to lead the administrative branch until the new president takes office. Of a total 21 Cabinet seats, only 14 are now occupied. Vacant seats include core roles such as interior minister and defense minister. The next president will have to run the government with a short-staffed Cabinet. Precedents set by the Moon administration suggests it will take a considerable period of time for the new president to fully replace the ministers to form the inaugural Cabinet. It took 76 days for Moon to hold his first Cabinet meeting where all the members had been his own appointments. The appointment of a prime minister requires the approval of more than half of the National Assembly members in attendance at a session. This would not present a problem if the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea wins — as the party already has over half of the 300 seats in the parliament — but may present further challenges in the case of a candidate from another party's triumph. During the Yoon administration, with the conservative bloc having well below a majority in the parliament, it took 48 days from Han Duck-soo's nomination to actual appointment to the post of prime minister. Regardless of talk of relocating the presidential office and residence, the new president is expected to begin his term in the current location in Yongsan. Whether or not the president will remain there long-term is uncertain, as two of the three major candidates, including front-runner Lee Jae-myung, have pledged to move the office again.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Money, political future of Lee Jun-seok hangs on 10% vote
Results will have substantial impact on candidate's political career, and crucial to getting reimbursed for campaign spending Lee Jun-seok, the candidate for the minor New Reform Party, went into polling day expecting to finish a distant third. But regardless of his low chances of winning, how many votes the 40-year-old politicians garners will likely affect the remainder of his career. Getting at least 10 percent of the vote on Tuesday will be considered a significant feat for Lee, who leads a minor party with just three members of the National Assembly. South Korean political landscape since the 1990s has been dominated by two major parties fighting for control, and no member of a minor party has ever won the presidency. Lee's approval ratings were around the 9-10 percent range in the last polls conducted before the blackout period, and him getting a significant amount of votes will solidify his status as a prominent figure in the pan-conservative bloc. While his party is considered centrist in the parliament, Lee is considered right-wing, as he had previously been a leader of the conservative People Power Party. During his election campaign on Monday in Daegu, the stronghold of the conservative bloc, he urged voters to invest in him with "the seed money for the new conservatives." Identifying him as a fellow conservative, the People Power Party had called for Lee to unify his campaign with its own candidate Kim Moon-soo, with the party's floor leader urging Lee to make the decision even before the election day. But Lee maintained that he would complete the race. Money issues For Lee, the number of votes he secures holds significant financial implications. His party has just over 120,000 members. In addition to party fees, the National Election Commission allocates separate funding. It allotted 26.53 billion won ($19.5 million) to the largest Democratic Party of Korea in election subsidies, 24.28 billion won to the PPP, and just 1.56 billion won to Lee's party. Last week, the party said that it spent 4 billion won for the election. The New Reform Party is entitled to other state subsidies, including the NEC's quarterly subsidies, that work out at around 350 million won, but the financial burden of the presidential race would likely be taxing to the party. The Public Officials Election Act states that the full expenditure for a presidential campaign shall be reimbursed by the state if the candidate receives at least 15 percent of the vote. Those who get 10 percent of the vote will receive half the amount he or she spent, payment for which is slated for Aug. 12. Last year, Lee proposed a bill that would lower the threshold for reimbursement, offering candidates who receive more than 5 percent of the vote half of their campaign expenses, and 70 percent reimbursement for those who secure at least 7 percent. How will Lee's graphic language in TV debate affect the voting? During the final presidential TV debate last Tuesday, Lee sparked a nationwide controversy by repeating sexually violent language thought to have been used by Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung's son in the past. The gaffe occurred after the opinion polls on each candidate have been conducted, and it is unclear if and how much the dispute affected the New Reform Party's candidate's campaign. Lee made the comment to criticize the Democratic Party's Lee for his son's inappropriate language, but many expressed shock and concern over the language being used on TV. Multiple lawsuits were filed against him by the Democratic Party and civic groups, and liberal lawmakers submitted a proposal to the National Assembly asking for disciplinary action against him. Will Lee be blamed for conservative bloc's loss? Despite the People Power Party's continued calls for Lee to support Kim, he has spoken against the PPP candidate in his campaign, although not nearly as much as he has attacked the Democratic Party candidate. On Monday, he reiterated his stance that he will not join Kim and said voting for Kim will result in absolving ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol and his followers. The disgraced former leader of Korea, who was impeached after imposing martial law in December of last year, belonged to Kim's party until last month. With Lee taking a substantial slice of the conservative vote, there is a possibility that he may be subject to criticism if Kim ends up losing to Lee in relatively close race. The final polls announced last week suggested that the DP candidate would still be a favorite even against their unified front, but with a much-closer margin. A Hankook research survey showed approval ratings of 44 percent for Lee Jae-myung and 41 percent for Kim, if the New Reform Party candidate dropped out to back Kim. Other polls, such as Gallup Korea, showed that DP's Lee would still hold a 53 percent to 43 percent lead against a unified conservative campaign.
Korea Herald
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Opposition leader's trial set for final hearing on Wed.
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chair of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the presidential front-runner, will attend the final hearing of an appellate trial concerning his alleged violation of the Public Officials Election Act on Wednesday, one day after the final hearing in suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. Lee's trial has been regarded as one of the biggest hurdles to him running for president, should the Constitutional Court uphold Yoon's impeachment. The verdict for Lee's appellate trial is expected to be made in late March. If the appellate court overturns the Seoul Central District Court's decision, Lee will be cleared of charges and eligible to run for president. However, if the Seoul High Court upholds the lower court's ruling, that could set a timeline for the Supreme Court to conclude Lee's trial by late June, as the Public Official Election Act stipulates the court must deliver rulings on election law violation cases within three months after an appellate trial. If the Supreme Court overturns the verdict, Lee will be cleared of charges. However, if the Supreme Court upholds the ruling, Lee will lose eligibility to run for any public office for 10 years, barring him from the next presidential race. If Yoon's impeachment is confirmed in early March and an early election is held within 60 days of the verdict in May, Lee's trial―depending on how long it lasts―could heavily impact the race. In the event that the Supreme Court rules to uphold the lower court's ruling after Lee wins the early election, he will be shielded by presidential immunity. The Constitution states that the president "shall not be charged with a criminal offense during his tenure of office, except for insurrection or treason." The Seoul High Court, which previously announced it would conduct a swift trial, is scheduled to hold the fifth and sixth―final―hearings for Lee's trial at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, Wednesday. In mid-January, the court decided to stop assigning new cases to the division that is tasked with handling Lee's case so as to expedite his trial without any delays. On Wednesday, prosecutors and Lee are expected to deliver their final statements. In November 2024, Seoul Central District Court handed down a one-year prison term, suspended for two years, to the main opposition leader on charges of making false statements during his campaign for 2022 in its first trial verdict. Lee responded by appealing the verdict, citing errors in the fact-finding process, misinterpretation of the law and unjust sentencing.
Korea Herald
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Democratic Party leader says his trial will be swift, denies delay tactics
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday that the ongoing trial on his election law violation charge would be conducted without delay, addressing the suspicion that his recent complaint over a lower-court ruling last year was a bid to delay the legal proceedings. "The trial will be concluded swiftly without any delay," Lee told reporters as he entered the Seoul High Court for a hearing of an appellate trial concerning his accused violation of the Public Officials Election Act. The court also made it clear on Wednesday that the witness questioning will be concluded by Feb. 19, with another separate hearing on Feb. 26. If it proceeds as scheduled, the verdict for Lee could be made as early as in March. This schedule would still put it beyond the legal limits for appeals trials on election law violations. These require a decision within three months of the initial verdict, which was made on Nov. 15. Lee recently made a request for a constitutional review on the election law clause used for his guilty verdict, which was seen as an attempt to further delay the verdict. His lawyers claimed that the prosecution is to be responsible for any delays for the trial, saying that the prosecutors' supposedly "expansive" request of evidence and witnesses is to blame. Lee in November was sentenced to a one-year prison term, suspended for two years, for making false statements during his campaign for the 2022 presidential election. If confirmed, this would make him ineligible to run for a public office, due to Article 19 of the Public Official Election Act that bans anyone sentenced to at least 1 million won ($690) in fines from running. On Tuesday, he requested the appellate court to second his request for a constitutional review of the election law provisions that ban candidates from publishing falsehood to win an election, saying this article infringes upon the freedom of expression. This sparked suspicion that Lee -- a front-runner in the polls for the next presidential race -- is trying to delay the legal proceedings to avoid losing his candidacy for the next election, which potentially could be held this year. Incumbent South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's term is until 2027, but he is currently under impeachment trial and criminal investigation for insurrection and power abuse, concerning his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law and related allegedly-illegal orders. The Constitutional Court must reach a conclusion within 180 days of registering the case, which means a snap election for presidency will be held if Yoon's impeachment is confirmed. The Seoul High Court is currently reviewing whether to accept the request made by Lee to second his request for a constitutional review. In such case, the trial will be suspended until the court concludes the constitutional review. The election law article banning candidates from making false statements has been challenged in the past. It was unanimously deemed constitutional in 2021, with the court saying, "If a candidate is allowed to make false statements about one's actions, the voter cannot have accurate materials to make the right decision (in the election)." Lee did not answer the question about what he thought of this legal precedent.
