김광열 영덕군수, 후보 등록 전 현수막 설치 …선거법 위반 조사

▲김광열 영덕군수가 예비후보 등록 직전 설치한 현수막©독자제공

【브레이크뉴스 포항】박영재 기자=김광열 영덕군수가 예비후보 등록 직전 선거사무소 외벽에 현수막을 설치한 사실이 확인되면서 공직선거법 위반 논란이 일고 있다. 선거법상 허용 시점 이전에 후보 관련 홍보물이 게시됐다는 점이 쟁점이다.

6일 주민 제보 등을 통해 확인된 바에 따르면, 김 군수 측은 이날 오전 8시 40분께 영덕읍 한 선거사무소 건물 전면에 대형 현수막을 설치했다. 해당 장소는 영덕파출소 건너편으로, 유동 인구가 많은 지역이다.

문제는 설치 시점이다. 김 군수는 같은 날 오전 9시 10분께 예비후보 등록을 마친 것으로 파악돼, 현수막 게시가 등록 이전에 이뤄진 것으로 나타났다.

공직선거법 제90조는 선거일 전 180일부터 후보자 또는 후보자가 되려는 사람의 성명이나 이를 유추할 수 있는 내용을 담은 현수막 등 시설물 설치를 원칙적으로 금지하고 있다. 이 규정을 위반할 경우 형사처벌 대상이 될 수 있다.

영덕군선거관리위원회는 6일 주민 제보를 바탕으로 사실관계 확인에 나서는등 조사에 나선 것으로 전해졌다. 

한 영덕읍민(72,남)은 "이번 사안은 지방선거를 앞두고 후보자들의 사전 선거운동 경계에 대한 경각심을 다시 환기시키는 계기가 됐으면 좋겠다"고 말했다. 

<구글 번역으로 번역한 영문 기사의 전문 입니다. 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 밝힙니다.>

[Break News Pohang] Reporter Park Young-jae = Controversy is brewing after it was confirmed that Yeongdeok County Governor Kim Gwang-yeol installed a banner on the exterior wall of his election office just before registering as a preliminary candidate. The key issue is whether this is illegal, given that promotional material related to the candidate was posted prior to the time permitted under election law.

According to information confirmed through resident reports on the 6th, Governor Kim's team installed a large banner on the front of an election office building in Yeongdeok-eup around 8:40 a.m. that day. The location is across from the Yeongdeok Police Station and is an area with high pedestrian traffic.

The problem lies in the timing of the installation. It has been determined that Governor Kim completed his preliminary candidate registration around 9:10 a.m. on the same day, indicating that the banner was posted prior to the registration.

Article 90 of the Public Official Election Act prohibits, in principle, the installation of facilities, such as banners, containing the name of a candidate or a person intending to become a candidate, or content that can be inferred from such name, starting 180 days prior to the election day. Violations of this regulation may result in criminal penalties.

** County Governor Kim’s side maintains that it was a simple mistake. An official who stepped down from his position as chief of staff to support Governor Kim’s candidacy stated, “It was a mistake that occurred while rushing the work out of concern for traffic congestion,” adding, “We stopped the installation immediately upon realizing the issue.”

However, legal experts and election law specialists are expressing skepticism about accepting this explanation at face value. They point out that since election-related organizations cannot be officially formed prior to preliminary candidate registration, the act of preparatory work itself could lead to a violation of the law.

An official from the Yeongdeok County Election Commission stated in a phone call with a reporter on the 6th, “We are currently verifying the facts based on reports from residents and are comprehensively investigating the content of the banner, the circumstances of its installation, and whether any instructions were given.”

A resident of Yeongdeok-eup (72, male) said, “I hope this incident serves as an opportunity to reawaken vigilance regarding candidates’ pre-election campaigning ahead of the local elections.”