The Unified Progressive Party (UPP) has clarified that it does not plan to return campaign funding worth KRW2.7 billion to the state, even though the party’s presidential candidate, Lee Jung Hee, announced her withdrawal from the race over the weekend and will not appear on the ballot.
Claims of impropriety have been fed by Lee’s single speech on TV and radio during the race, even though she was legally entitled to appear up to 44 times, and the fact that the party did not produce its quota of published materials such as campaign posters.
The cost of producing such materials is paid in full by the state when a candidate gets more than 15% of votes in the presidential election, and half when the candidate gets 10-15%. However, when a candidate gets less than 10% of votes, the state does not pay anything. Therefore, it is widely presumed that the UPP had concluded that it would fall well short of the 10% threshold, and decided to cut and run with the money.
Party spokesperson Kim Mi Hee told reporters today that the UPP has no intention of returning the funding, saying, “We will act in accordance with the law.”
This time, the law is on the side of the UPP. Explaining why, a National Election Commission (NEC) official stated today, “Payments of election funding ahead of presidential elections was introduced in order to stop illegal funding and guarantee the ability of minority parties to engage in political activities. However, even if they resign there is then no way to get it back.”
One of the few remaining UPP lawmakers, Lee Seok Gi is also currently embroiled in legal proceedings over the excessive reporting of election expenses for progressive candidates associated with his company, CN Communications (CNC). Prosecutors believe CNC may have lied to the NEC to the tune of around KRW400 million.
Last September the ruling Saenuri Party proposed ‘eat and run protection’ to forestall this kind of outcome; however, it was never brought before the National Assembly.
