Destruction of Election Posters by Elementary School Students Involved

In Jeju, an incident occurred where the election posters of the Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung were vandalized, with elementary school students appearing to be the primary suspects.

On the 19th, the Jeju West Police Station reported that it received a report regarding the defacement of a presidential election poster posted near Nohyeong Elementary School in Jeju City at 12:23 PM on the 18th.

Upon arriving at the scene in response to the report, police found that only the section of the poster featuring candidate Lee Jae-myung had been vandalized. After reviewing CCTV footage, it was determined that the perpetrators were two male children who appeared to be elementary school students.

The police are currently identifying the students involved and investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.

However, since the elementary school students responsible for the act are in the lower grades, the police decided not to pursue further investigation, fearing they might feel psychologically distressed. The police plan to conduct election law violation prevention education for the students in consultation with the Provincial Office of Education.

Meanwhile, according to the Public Official Election Act, anyone who obstructs, defaces, or removes election posters, banners, etc., without justifiable reasons is subject to imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 4 million won.

For minors or juvenile offenders aged between 10 and 14, alternative procedures such as protective measures and guidance will be applied instead of criminal punishment.

Image source: Defaced election poster of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung / Photo provided by Jeju Police Agency, Lee Jae-myung, General Election Campaign Chair of the Democratic Party / News1