NEC to review growing controversy over “Lee Jae-myung banner”

[Anchor]

The National Election Commission has intervened to prevent the hanging of banners that criticize Democratic Party's leader Lee Jae-myung.

In response, the People Power Party strongly protested, claiming it was biased.

As the controversy is growing, the Election Commission has decided to discuss the matter in a full meeting tomorrow (Dec. 23).

Min Jeong-hee reports.

[Report]

A People Power Party lawmaker in Busan attempted to hang a banner reading "Still, not Lee Jae-myung" in response to an opposition banner that labeled him a "co-conspirator of insurrection."

The Election Commission blocked the hanging of the banner, stating it was a pre-election campaign aimed at disqualifying him.

The People Power Party protested strongly, claiming the decision was biased.

They questioned whether the Election Commission was engaging in electioneering for Lee Jae-myung, pointing out that they were assuming an early presidential election even before the judgement of Yoon's impeachment trial.

[Kweon Seong-dong/Acting Leader of the People Power Party and Floor Leader: "We are issuing a serious warning and demanding a reconsideration. Have they not postulated his(Lee Jae-myung's) ineligibility to run if he gets a guilty verdict? (It is incomprehensible.)"]

Lawmaker Na Kyung-won stated, "The Election Commission, a body that needs to be the most neutral, has not only assumed the impeachment but also assumed that the Democratic candidate is Lee Jae-myung," adding, "This is why the Election Commission is suspected of election fraud."

The Democratic Party responded to Na, accusing her of supporting conspiracy theories about election fraud to rally far-right supporters.

As the controversy over bias continues, the National Election Commission has decided to discuss the issue in its full meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

The Election Commission stated that the decision was made at the secretariat level, but due to ongoing issues raised by the political sphere and media, they would review it again.

This is KBS News Min Jeong-hee.