The Democratic Party's Central Election Management Committee announced on August 13 that it has decided to expel Jung Dal-sung, the head of the Jung Cheong-rae Support Group, over allegations of proxy voting in the Jeonnam Gwangju region while supporting party leader Jung Cheong-rae.
On this day, the committee stated that Jung's actions constituted election fraud under Article 34, Section 13 of the party's regulations, which includes proxy voting and the use of placards. The committee made this announcement through a public notice signed by Chairman So Byeong-hoon.
Following the committee's decision to expel Jung, the party's Ethics Tribunal will investigate the allegations of election fraud and determine whether to impose disciplinary measures.
Jung was embroiled in controversy the previous day during a street campaign in the lower Jang area of Suncheon, Jeonnam, where he faced accusations of proxy voting. In a statement, he asserted, "Providing guidance on voting methods is entirely different from proxy voting," and added, "To conclude proxy voting based on isolated scenes is clearly inconsistent with the actual facts."
He further clarified, "The choice of candidates and voting were conducted directly by the party members themselves according to their own will, and there was absolutely no instance of selecting a specific candidate on behalf of others or exercising voting rights on their behalf."
This controversy arose during the online voting process for party members in the Honam region, which began on August 11 and will conclude on August 14. The Democratic Party is set to elect its next party leader at a convention on August 17.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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