3 detained over election violence

'No major difference from last local elections'

Top alert level to be declared on voting day

A voter casts a ballot at an early voting station set up at the Samcheong-dong community center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the first day of early voting for the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, on Friday afternoon. [Herald Business DB]
A voter casts a ballot at an early voting station set up at the Samcheong-dong community center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the first day of early voting for the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, on Friday afternoon. [Herald Business DB]

By Jung Joo-won, The Herald Business

Seoul police are investigating 304 election law violation cases in the capital with two days remaining before the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. Eight of those cases involve AI-related election crimes, though authorities say the feared surge in such offenses has not materialized.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo said at a regular press briefing at the agency's Jongno-gu headquarters Monday that 322 cases had been reported and 304 were under active investigation. "Compared to the last local elections, there is no significant difference in the types or number of crimes," he said.

Three suspects have been detained on election law charges so far, up from two during the previous local elections. All three cases involve election violence, including assaults on campaign workers, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

"We detained two people during the last election and now it is three," Park said. "There are no signs that things are particularly turbulent, nor that they have become especially clean."

Police said they had prepared intensively for AI-related election crimes, as this is the first election held since amendments to the Public Official Election Act took effect. Eight AI-related cases are currently under investigation, though none have resulted in detention.

"We were concerned that AI-related crimes might surge and prepared extensively, but it does not appear that crimes have occurred at a level that warrants serious alarm," Park said. "There do not seem to be any types we had not anticipated."

On the controversy over campaign vehicles violating traffic laws, Park said police would enforce the rules as written. "There is much to consider given the election context, but the law must be followed," he said.

Police also plan to step up protection for candidates and tighten security at polling and vote-counting sites. On voting day, the agency will declare its highest alert status — "Gap-ho" emergency — and concentrate resources on guarding ballot boxes and counting centers.

Asked about the lifting of close personal protection for Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon, Park said the candidate was not left unguarded. "Close protection has been lifted, but when he campaigns, the local police precinct provides security," he said. "Wherever he goes, the precinct in that jurisdiction is protecting him."

Park pledged that police would do everything possible to ensure voters could cast their ballots safely. "Even after the election is over, we will conduct a thorough investigation to hold accountable everyone who has committed crimes," he said.


jookapooka@heraldcorp.com