Oversized Campaign Banners in City Centers Raise Safety and Aesthetic Concerns

With the start of the campaign period, election banners large enough to cover buildings have been erected across urban areas. Concerns are rising that these banners are marring the city's appearance and increasing the risk of safety accidents.

Last month in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, an 11-year-old elementary school student was injured when their neck became caught on a rope used to secure an election banner.

Although the government has established banner management guidelines and begun inspections, critics point out that banners hung on building exteriors are not subject to size or quantity restrictions, limiting effective management. The current Public Official Election Act allows the installation of signs, plaques, and banners at campaign offices and liaison offices but does not impose separate restrictions on their dimensions or number, providing a basis for the installation of oversized banners. Banners for approved candidates and parties are exempt from current permit and reporting requirements, creating a management blind spot. In the past, there were regulations on the size of campaign office banners, but these were deleted in 2005.