The National Election Commission held a meeting of commissioners on April 4 to determine its revision bill regarding the politics-related laws, including the Public Official Election Act, Political Parties Act, and Political Funds Act, which will be submitted to the National Assembly.

The revision bill has been formed after taking into account the opinions of experts in the fields of the politics, academia, media, and civil organisations, voiced in the symposium organised by the NEC on March 24-25.

Among the items of the revisions that have been deliberated, ‘allowing incorporated entities and organisations to contribute to the NEC’ and ‘permitting the establishment of Political Fundraising Association for political parties‘ were not included, as the public has not yet reached a consensus on these matters.  

Also excluded are: ‘providing national subsidy in connection with small-amount contribution and party membership fee’; ‘permitting the overseas missions to investigate election crimes committed overseas’; ‘permitting the establishment of the overseas association of party members’; and ‘reimbursement of election campaign expenses after deducting the amount of contribution limit’.

The NEC expressed its appreciation to the experts of various fields and the people for the great interest and various opinions regarding the revision of the politics-related laws. It also reaffirmed its determination to play a vital role in facilitating the discussion on how to improve the politics-related laws, and leading the advancement of politics and election.

The main points contained in the revision bill are as follows.

◆    The Public Official Election Act

•       Introduce a modified proportional representation system-in which multiple candidates running for district representatives in the same Si/Do are put on the same place of the candidate roster for proportional representatives, so a candidate with the most vote vis-a-vis the average valid votes, even if he/she loses in the election for district representatives, can be elected- in order to mitigate regionalism

•       Introduce a Primary election, which is to be held simultaneously nationwide

•       Tighten control on serious election crimes committed overseas, by prohibiting the issuance of passports, etc.

•       The overseas mission’s staff receive the application for overseas voters by making the round of their jurisdiction / Partially permit a ‘vote by mail’ in overseas voting

•       Set up more polling stations, outside the overseas missions, if necessary

•       Toughen the punishment for election crimes related to vote-buying by taking such measures as the extension of the statute of limitations

•       Permit election campaign in the Internet at all times, by utilising such medium as UCC, Twitter, etc., in order to ensure freedom of election

•       Extend the period of permitting an interview or a debate for the purpose of campaigning, in order to encourage policy-oriented campaign

•       Implement a pilot integrated voter’s list in by-elections to increase voter accessibility

•       For the convenience of visually impaired voters, expand the production of voice campaign booklet in such forms as CD, tape, etc.

◆    Political Parties Act, Political Fund Act

•       Prohibit the use of first name or last name of a particular person in the name of political party

•       Make publicly available the personal information of those who provide party membership fee of more than 10million KRW per month, or 100million KRW per annum

•       Make publicly available the accounting report of political funds on the Internet