Fundraising loophole untouched by election rules despite years of reform promises

(123rf)
(123rf)

With South Korea's local elections just four months away, hopeful candidates for a wide range of municipal posts have begun rolling out book launch events at a rapid pace.

The practice, long common ahead of presidential and parliamentary races, is coming to the surface again as prospective governors, mayors and education chiefs turn publishing events into early political platforms.

Supporters say these gatherings help voters gauge a candidate's thinking and political network. Critics argue they have become de facto fundraising channels outside formal election oversight.

As registration for preliminary candidates for the June 3 local elections begins Tuesday, a wave of book launch events has already taken place, with more scheduled in the coming weeks.

In the race for Seoul's superintendent of education, expected to be among the most competitive contests, four prospective candidates have already held book launches. More are anticipated, including incumbent Superintendent Jung Geun-sik, who is scheduled to launch a book on Saturday.

According to a local media tally, about 80 book launch parties have been held since December in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province alone.

The trend is expected to continue until March 4, 90 days before the election, when the Public Official Election Act bans the promotion of candidates' books.

Such events are widely seen as unofficial campaign launches. Candidates often formally announce their runs shortly afterward, while attendance figures and the presence of prominent political figures are frequently cited as evidence of political clout.

However, civic groups and experts have repeatedly argued that book launches enable unchecked fundraising. Donations are often made in cash under the guise of book purchases, with neither the amount raised nor the source of the funds publicly disclosed.

"The funds raised through publishing events are not subject to mandatory reporting by candidates," an official from the National Election Commission said. "Because they are not regulated as political activity funds, there are no specific restrictions or guidelines."

South Korea's anti-corruption watchdog has warned that purchasing books in excessive quantities could violate the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, but it has not established concrete standards to regulate such practices.

As a result, critics say book launch parties have been widely used by politicians across party lines to circumvent the Political Funds Act, which caps lawmakers' annual donations at 300 million won ($206,000) in election years and limits individual political contributions to 5 million won.

While the exact amount raised per event is often unclear, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has said that congratulatory gifts at such launch parties generally exceed 50,000 won, much higher than the typical retail price of a book.

"I understand that it may seem like a large sum from the perspective of the general public, but it is not unusually high for a publishing ceremony," Kim said during his confirmation hearing in June, explaining that he earned a total of 250 million won from two such events.

He added that opposition lawmakers hold similar events and some have faced accusations of omitting proceeds from asset disclosures, arguing that selective financial scrutiny could raise fairness concerns.

Civic groups continue to call for stronger measures.

"Political parties have long promised reform by regulating book launch parties, which have been criticized as a loophole for illicit political funding, but no concrete measures have been implemented," said an official from the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice. "In 2014, both major parties even discussed an outright ban, but meaningful debate never followed."

Experts agree that reform is needed, but acknowledge the difficulty of closing such loopholes entirely.

"If book launch parties are banned outright, politicians will likely turn to alternatives such as calligraphy exhibitions or art shows to raise funds," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.

He suggested measures such as limiting the number of books an individual can purchase or encouraging credit card payments to improve traceability.

"Politics inevitably costs money," Shin said. "The realistic goal is not money-free politics, but politics that costs less."


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