South Korean Mayor Fined Over Election Law Violations, Plans Appeal

Baek Seong-hyun, the mayor of Nonsan in South Korea's South Chungcheong Province, has been handed a 1.5 million won fine in a first-instance trial for violating election laws. The ruling, delivered by the Daejeon District Court's Nonsan Branch, could lead to the nullification of his election victory.

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The defendant's actions were not donations to a small number of acquaintances but were carried out extensively targeting various associations and organizations within the district, so it does not appear to be contrary to social norms.

The mayor is accused of providing holiday gifts valued at over 3.8 million won to 110 constituents in 2023 and 2024. Crucially, his name card was enclosed with each gift, which prosecutors argued constitutes illegal campaign activity. South Korean election law prohibits local governments from providing gifts to constituents unless explicitly permitted by law or ordinance, and prohibits identifying the donor as a head of a local government.

Baek's defense team argued that his actions lacked intent or purpose, and that he did not instruct or conspire with any staff to carry them out. They also claimed the gifts were a matter of professional duty and did not violate social norms. Baek himself stated that the recipients were individuals who had supported the "Gohyang Sarang" (hometown love) donation program and that only two of them were Nonsan citizens, asserting he was unaware of the list of recipients until after the charges were filed.

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The scale of the crime is considerable, considering the period of the offense and the number of donation recipients, and the defendant has not acknowledged or repented for the parts that have been revealed as objective facts during the investigation and trial.

However, the court rejected these arguments. The judges stated that the donations were made broadly to various associations and organizations within the district, not just to a small group of acquaintances, thus appearing to violate social norms. They also noted the significant scale of the donations, considering the number of recipients and the duration of the alleged offense. Furthermore, the court pointed out that Baek had not acknowledged or repented for the actions revealed as objective facts during the investigation and trial.

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I apologize to the citizens of Nonsan, but I find it difficult to accept the court's decision.

Following the verdict, Baek expressed his apologies to the citizens of Nonsan but stated his difficulty in accepting the court's decision. He plans to appeal, arguing that the gifting practice has been a tradition for 11 years and intends to legally contest the ruling in the appellate court.

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The donation act has continued as a practice for 11 years. I will argue legally in the appellate trial.