Local Elections Day-60: Restrictions on Heads of Local Governments Holding or Sponsoring Events

= NEC to host special training in order to prevent involvement in the elections by civil servants =

The National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea announced that from April 14, 60 days before June 13 when the 7th nationwide simultaneous elections are scheduled to be held, the heads of local governments may not hold or sponsor various kinds of events and political parties or candidates may not conduct polls on elections using the names of political parties or candidates.

The major activities that are restricted or prohibited from April 14 are as follows.

Restrictions and Prohibitions related to the conduct of local officials including the Heads of Local Governments.

From April 14 to the election day, the following is prohibited:

• Promoting or publicizing a political party’s pledges, policies, interests or views
• Attending any political events such as party members'' training or party member rallies held by political parties
• Visit an election policy group, campaign office or election campaign liaison office

※ The above actions may be undertaken if the Head of the Local Government has registered as a preliminary candidate or candidate. 

However, heads of local governments may participate in a conference to establish, merge or reform a party and party nominations. They may also pay a courtesy visit as a party member to public events hosted by their political party exclusively for party members.

In addition, the heads of the local governments and the civil servants belonging to their constituency may not host or sponsor lectures, business presentations, public hearings, meetings of professional organizations, sports events, events for the aged and other civil servants. 

However, the following activities are allowed: 

• Holding or sponsoring events held according to the law
• An event that must be held at a specific date or time 
• Relief activities after natural disasters
• Supporting lectures that are being provided at a cost or that are organized by the local resident’s center
• Events held to deal with collective or urgent complaints from residents 

Restrictions and prohibitions related to election surveys

From April 14 to election day, election surveys are prohibited that use the names of a political party or candidate (including a preliminary candidate) or are made in the format of a ballot paper. 

However, a political party may conduct an in-house primary election survey or a polling company may conduct a election survey upon the request of a political party or candidate without naming the client.  

The NEC has conducted 920 training programs since February for a total of 113,000 public officials, including those working for local governments and in the office of education. The NEC is also actively engaged in preventing election crimes by civil servants, including encouraging deputy heads of local governments to host election neutrality conferences. 

On April 16, the NEC will send a letter signed by the NEC Chairperson to over 5,000 organizations, including national administration bodies and local governments expressing the NEC’s commitment to crackdown on civil servants engaging in the elections and asking for cooperation to realize beautiful elections.​