The mayoral race in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, is intensifying one day before the June 3 local elections, as the camps of Kim Byung-soo of the People Power Party and Lee Ki-hyung of the Democratic Party clash head-on over allegations surrounding Gyeyangcheon compensation, with each side characterizing the dispute as either "legitimate verification" or a "smear campaign."
The dispute centers on text messages and promotional videos distributed by Kim's camp. The text messages contained the expression "boldly calling for compensation related to a project involving his own land at the provincial council," while the video included a subtitle stating that "the family received more than 8 billion won in compensation."
After an objection regarding false information was filed over the content, the Gyeonggi Provincial Election Commission requested an explanation from Kim's camp. Kim's campaign submitted related materials and a written explanation on May 31, and said the commission took no separate action.
"Under Article 110-2 of the Public Official Election Act, the election commission is required to publicly announce without delay any content determined to be false," Kim's camp said. "Since no such announcement was made, this constitutes a determination that the information is not false."
Article 110-2 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that the election commission must publicly disclose content when it determines such content to be false. Kim's side interprets the absence of such disclosure as grounds that their challenge was justified.
"This decision by the election commission shows that the issues raised by Kim's side were not baseless slander but verification based on public records," Kim's camp said. "A clear explanation of the allegations is needed so that citizens can make their own judgment."
The Democratic Party takes the opposite position. Lawmakers Kim Joo-young and Park Sang-hyuk countered, "They went so far as to use expressions such as 'immoral' to slander the candidate when the facts have not been confirmed," adding that the actions "may violate the Public Official Election Act and the Information and Communications Network Act."
The Democratic Party raised the possibility of an organized smear campaign by Kim's side, citing tips that the phone number used for the text messages was identical to one used to slander a Democratic Party candidate during a past local election. In response, Kim's camp countered that the messages "were lawfully sent from a number registered with the election commission."
The two sides are escalating into mutual criminal complaints. Kim's camp said it plans to file complaints against lawmakers Kim Joo-young and Park Sang-hyuk on charges of false accusation and dissemination of false information. The Democratic Party's Gyeonggi provincial chapter has also filed a complaint against Kim, and the case has been received by the Gimpo Police Station.
"Apart from the election commission's decision, repeatedly raising allegations whose facts have not been sufficiently verified at the end of the campaign can cloud voters' judgment," an official from Lee's camp said. "We will respond firmly to smear-campaign attacks."
