Jeong Yi-han, former Reform Party candidate for Busan Mayor [Photo = Yonhap News]Regarding the case where Jeong Yi-han, the former Reform Party candidate for Busan Mayor, confessed to staging a "fake attack," People Power Party spokesperson Ham In-gyeong strongly criticized the police on the 13th for remaining silent about the confession until after the election, asking, "Is this not clear interference in the election?"

In a commentary, spokesperson Ham pointed out, "It has been revealed belatedly that the former candidate confessed his fake attack to the police before the election. Despite this, he completed his race to the end without any sanctions, and citizens were forced to vote without any knowledge of these facts." She further took issue with the police's delayed response, stating, "The police only requested an arrest warrant after the election had concluded."

She condemned the situation, stating, "The public is asking, 'Why was no action taken even after receiving a confession to a serious crime related to election interference?' and 'Why were voters forced to cast their ballots without knowing this critical fact?' If the police remained silent to avoid influencing the election, that very silence is, in itself, election interference." 

The implication is that by allowing the election to proceed while concealing the fact of the confessed crime, the public authorities effectively exerted an influence on the election results.

Furthermore, spokesperson Ham argued that this incident severely infringed upon the voting rights of the electorate. She emphasized, "The right to vote encompasses not only the act of casting a ballot but also the right to choose candidates based on accurate information within a fair process. The fact that the attack was staged was information that voters had a right to know, yet the public's right to know was undermined by the police's silence."

She also raised the possibility that this suspected cover-up was the result of directives from higher-ups or an institutional decision. "There are few citizens who would believe that such a grave matter was handled solely by an individual investigator," Ham stated, urging, "The entire decision-making process within the chain of command must be transparently disclosed to the public, including when and to whom the confession was reported and what decisions were made by the police leadership."

Finally, calling for a thorough investigation, spokesperson Ham demanded, "Following the ballot paper shortage during the 6/3 local elections, the people's voting rights have been undermined once again due to police silence. The police must fully disclose for whom they remained silent and who made the decision to remain silent, and those responsible for shaking the trust in elections, the foundation of democracy, must be held accountable."