More Than 1,400 South Koreans Indicted Over Illegal Electioneering This Year

A total of 1,430 people including 33 incumbent lawmakers have been indicted on charges of illegal electioneering this year.

According to the prosecution, the statute of limitations for crimes committed during the general election on the month of April this year.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said that the 16 from the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, 11 lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party, four from the minor opposition People's Party and two independent lawmakers have been charged of illegal electioneering on Thursday, October 13.

The defendants include Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who is the chief of the main opposition party, is suspected of spreading wrong information to get elected and she has been denying the allegations against her.

The number of lawmakers to stand trial is not different from the 30 and 36 tallied in the 19th and 18th parliamentary elections. The prosecutors are barred from leveling charges over election law violations for the polls for the 20th National Assembly conducted on April 13, 2016.

According to the data showed, the total number of people indicted has decreased from 1,460 recorded from the previous election compared to the election this year. There are 33 lawmakers who were prosecuted this year, 10 are suspected of unlawful use of political funds, 16 people are on propaganda charges including the two people who are charged with illegal political funds.

In total, the number of people involved in the unlawful use of money during the campaign period dropped from 829 tallied in the 19th elections to 656 while those involved in the black propaganda doubled from 652 to 1,129.

"The indictments are based on a calculation which is aimed at grabbing more seats for the ruling party at the by-election," said Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the Minjoo.

Meanwhile, the minor People's Party echoed the view and accusing the pro-Park Geun-hye faction are controlling the prosecutors. It also stated that a former senior presidential secretary and two lawmakers of Saenuri were cleared and freed of allegations.

Furthermore, the ruling party convinced the opposition bloc to cooperate with the investigation.