Parties Demand Asan Mayor's Explanation Amidst Election Interference Allegations

On the 17th, the People Power Party's South Chungcheong Provincial Chapter and Ahn Jang-heon, a preliminary candidate for Asan Mayor, urged Oh Se-hyun, the Mayor of Asan City, to provide an official explanation and take action regarding allegations of external pressure and interference during the election process for the 9th term Youth Committee Chairman. These allegations include the leakage of election rosters and pressure applied to voting. The issue centers on claims that personal and workplace information of committee members was shared in advance to support a specific candidate, with circumstances indicating voting was pressured.

In a statement, the People Power Party's South Chungcheong Provincial Chapter branded the incident as a 'planned election interference' and demanded the annulment of the Youth Committee Chairman election, a re-vote, an investigation by an external agency, the dismissal of the person responsible for false explanations, and a public apology and statement from the Mayor. The provincial chapter views this matter as an attempt to seize control of youth organizations ahead of the local elections and has announced legal responses, including a request for an audit and a referral for investigation.

Ahn Jang-heon's preliminary candidacy camp, in a commentary, pointed out a violation of the 'arm's length principle'—supporting without interfering—and claimed that youth autonomy has been undermined by administrative influence. The allegations of roster leakage and organized interference are being cited as violations of administrative fairness, and follow-up measures from the Asan City administration are needed regarding the demands for a re-vote and truth verification.