Ahead of the June 3 local elections, a "no-show scam" involving campaign supplies, carried out by people impersonating Democratic Party of Korea officials, is spreading. The Democratic Party of Korea plans to pursue legal action, including asking for an investigation.
On the 14th at the National Assembly, senior spokesperson Kang Jun-hyun of the Democratic Party of Korea met with reporters and said, "Lately, scams are spreading in which people impersonate officials of the Democratic Party of Korea's central and regional offices or members of candidate camps, demand prepayment under the pretext of ordering campaign materials, and then disappear."
According to what the Democratic Party of Korea has identified, as of the 13th there were a total of eight reports nationwide of such impersonation and no-show scams. By region, there were six in Gyeonggi, one in Seoul, and one in Busan.
They impersonate Democratic Party of Korea officials, place large orders for campaign items used on the trail—such as eye patches, cheering sticks, windbreakers, and caps—request quotes, and then try to induce prepayment.
In Seoul, after sending a draft for campaign apparel and asking for production, they sent a quote of 77 million won to a design firm and proposed a 30% margin for an advance deposit, but it fell through.
To prevent further damage, the Democratic Party of Korea sent an official letter in the name of the central party and urged caution. The letter instructed that if there is a suspicious order, it must be checked in advance with the regional or central party.
Kang, the senior spokesperson, said, "We plan to ask police to investigate these cases."