Ruling Party Proposes Amendment to Election Act to Return Democratic Election Expenses of 43.4 Billion

The People's Power proposed an amendment to the Public Official Election Act that would prevent the Democratic Party of Korea from avoiding its obligation to return 43.4 billion won in presidential election expenses when Lee Jae-myung is convicted of violating the Public Official Election Act.

Joo Jin-woo, chairman of the party's legal advisory committee, issued a press release, saying he is concerned about the Democratic Party's move to avoid returning the presidential election expenses paid by taxpayers' money in an expedient such as Bundang.

The amendment required political parties to succeed in returning election expenses even if they were merged or divided, and included a provision that allows political parties to seize their property within the expected amount of return even before the nullification of the election is confirmed.

It also included a punishment rule requiring imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won for concealing or evading property to avoid the obligation to return it.

The current Public Official Election Act requires candidates or political parties who have been declared invalid to return the preserved election costs, so if Lee Jae-myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act is confirmed, the Democratic Party will have to return 43.4 billion won in election costs.