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The number of election-law offenders in Busan during the June 3 nationwide local elections reached 280, more than double the figure from the local elections four years ago — confirming through investigative statistics the overheated competition that persisted until the final stretch of the campaign.
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said on the 4th that it had cracked down on 280 election-law offenders in the region from February 3, when registration for preliminary candidates in the 9th local elections began, through election day. It referred 53 to prosecutors and is investigating 198. Of these, two were detained. The figure represents an increase of 162 (137.3%) over the 118 offenders caught during the 8th local elections in 2022.
By type of offense, monetary transactions were the most common at 107 (38.2%), followed by smear tactics such as publishing false information and spreading fake news at 69 (24.6%).
Next came damage to campaign facilities at 28 (10.0%), election violence at 22 (7.9%), mobilization of illegal organizations at 10 (3.6%), and public officials' involvement in elections at 4 (1.4%). Other election crimes accounted for 40 (14.3%).
The sharp rise in monetary offenses stood out in particular. According to police, payment of travel expenses on behalf of others was the most common at 53 cases, while donations to voters reached 25.
Last month, police detained a suspect who damaged a campaign banner in Buk-gu, then threw nippers at and threatened with a baseball bat a citizen who tried to stop him. Police also detained a suspect accused of inducing an election-law violation in Saha-gu by promising money to an acquaintance to help defeat a particular candidate.
Among the leads for investigations, complaints and accusations accounted for more than half at 88 cases (54.3%). These were followed by 112 emergency reports at 34 (21.0%), investigation requests from the election commission at 24 (14.7%), and intelligence and self-detection at 16 (10.0%).
Observers say the number of complaints and accusations rose significantly compared with the past, as competition between the ruling and opposition parties intensified across the elections — including the Busan mayoral race as well as district head and local council races.
Indeed, compared with the 8th local elections, monetary offenses surged nearly tenfold from 11 to 107, and election violence jumped from 1 to 22. Smear offenses also rose from 58 to 69.
Police plan to continue their investigations even after the election. Considering that the statute of limitations for Public Official Election Act violations is six months from election day, they will run an intensive investigation period for four months, from this day through October 2.
In particular, police plan to strengthen their crackdown on illegal activities that may occur after the election, such as providing money under the guise of thanking voters for their support or offering benefits in return for electoral support.
A police official said, "We will investigate all election cases swiftly and strictly, regardless of whether candidates were elected," adding, "We will cooperate closely with prosecutors to ensure there are no gaps in law enforcement against election crimes."
Political circles attribute the sharp increase in investigation targets to the extremely tight races in this election, including the Busan mayoral contest, along with various allegations and negative attacks in the campaign's final stretch. Depending on the outcome of future investigations, the judicial risk facing some elected officials could emerge as a new political variable.
