Is Jeong Won-oh’s Book Talk Campaign a Breach of Election Law? Key Insights on Political Ethics

On February 10, the People Power Party’s Seoul Metropolitan Council announced that they had filed a complaint against Seongdong District Mayor Jeong Won-oh for allegedly violating the Public Official Election Act. The complaint was lodged with both the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

Park Jae-hyung, the senior spokesperson for the Seoul Metropolitan Council, stated in a press release that Mayor Jeong had conducted approximately six “book talk” events since last December to promote his own publications. These events were held across Seoul, including in Seongdong, Yeongdeungpo, and Jongno districts.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council explained that according to the Central Election Commission’s interpretation of the Public Official Election Act, even if an event occurs 90 days before the election date, repeatedly holding book launch celebrations or organizing promotional rallies aimed at a large number of potential voters can be classified as pre-election campaigning.

They further argued that the law prohibits public officials from using their positions to influence elections and stipulates that they cannot attend events hosted by non-public organizations during working hours.

Spokesperson Park added, “Mayor Jeong has been mentioned as a potential candidate for Seoul mayor following President Lee Jae-myung’s public remarks. He has continued to make political statements and express his intentions to run for mayor.” Park emphasized that considering the timing, frequency, format, and target audience of these actions, there is a significant possibility that they violate the pre-election campaigning restrictions outlined in the Public Official Election Act.