Police launch election crime crackdown system, deploy 2,096 officers to dedicated teams

The police are moving into a full-scale election crime crackdown system to ensure that the 9th Nationwide Local Elections, scheduled for June 3, are conducted in a clean and fair manner.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) under the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on the 3rd that, starting today, it has organized a total of 2,096 investigators into dedicated election crime investigation teams at 18 metropolitan and provincial police agencies and 261 police stations nationwide. The NOI said it will also strengthen intelligence gathering on various illegal activities related to the elections.
The NOI has designated five major election crimes that seriously undermine the fairness of elections: spreading false information, exchanging money or valuables, public officials’ involvement in elections, illegal mobilization of organizations, and election-related violence. It plans to apply a "zero-tolerance" policy and respond strictly through criminal prosecution. The agency also intends to thoroughly track down not only those who directly commit illegal acts, but also those who planned or ordered the crimes and the original sources of illicit funds.
In particular, the police will focus on cracking down on malicious dissemination of false or fabricated information through various media, including social networking services (SNS), when such information is spread without verifying the facts and with the intent to influence voters’ decisions, going beyond legitimate provision of information or verification-based criticism of candidates. They will also target the use of macro programs and organized distribution of such content. Among these, distribution of false or fabricated information that seriously harms the fairness of the election will be met with strict measures, including pretrial detention.
An official at the NOI stated, "With the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office and the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office expected around October this year, investigations into election crimes in the 9th Nationwide Local Elections are effectively expected to be led by the police." The official added, "Based on our accumulated investigative capabilities and expertise in election cases, we will work closely with related agencies such as the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea (NEC) and the prosecution service to carry out fair and rigorous crackdowns."
The official went on to say, "To realize fair elections, active reports and tips from the public are just as important as the efforts of the police," and urged, "If you become aware of any election-related illegal acts, please report them proactively to the 112 Police Emergency Number or to the nearest police station."
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yu-ha Reporter