USAMGIK Ordinance 55

HEADQUARTERS

UNITED STATES ARMY MILITARY

GOVERNMENT IN KOREA

Office of the Military Governor
Seoul, Korea

ORDINANCE
NUMBER 55

23 Febrnary 1946

REGULATION TION OF POLITICAL PARTIES

SECTION Ⅰ. Registration of Political Parties.

a. Who shall register.

In addition to any previous reports or registrations, each group of three or more persons who constitute any organization or association for the purpose of conducting and who engage in any form of political activities shall register such organization as a political party. Activities conducted in the name of and by any group or organization which involve public discussions or propaganda in any written or oral form, or public actions, are political when they tend to influence the laws, the form, the organization, the selection, nomination, election, appointment or removal of personnel or office holders, the administration, the procedures, or the policies of the government including the enactment, execution and enforcement of laws, fereign relations, and the rights, powers, duties, freedoms and privileges of the people in relation to government. For any group or organization secretly to conduct any activities which tend to exert any of such political influences is hereby prohibited.

b. The place of registration.

If such political party extends any of its activities beyond the limits of one province or is affiliated in any way with other political party or any part of any part of any political party which operates beyond the limits of that province, the place of registration shall be The Bureau of Public Information, Capitol Building, Seoul. It such political party does not extend by its own actions or by affiliation with any other political party or part of any political party beyond the limits of one province the place of registration shall be the office of the Governor of the Province.

c. Information to be registered.

Each political party shall file by registered mail the following information, which shall be certified as correct by the signature and seal of the leader or leaders of the party:

(1) The name or designation of the political party, and any symbol thereof.

(2) A copy of its charter or a declaration of its purposes, including a copy of every paper preciously issued which discloses the purpose of the party and any or all persons openly or secretly affiliated with the party.

(3) The name and designation of position in the party of each person holding any office or exercising any function or influence in the party other than as a member. If the party act from more than one place, the name of each person, and his position, having any responsibility for actions taken at each different place, listed according to the different places where the party acts through branches or sections, or through any subordinate group affiliated with it, in any way controlled by it or furnished money or materials or other assistance by it.

(4) The exact address and description of each place used by the party or any party of it for offices, for meetings of any sort, for the preparation of material or for the transaction of any business, including every such place actually used in the past sixth days for any such purpose. The place or places ay which mail is received by the party and which place is to be registered as the party headquarters shall be stared. The headquarters of each branch or subordinate chapter or section shall also be stated.

(5)The date of organization of the party. and each date on which political activity began.

(6) The name, the address, and a clear description of the organization of each political party with which it is affiliated, or with which it has cooperated in any way in the past sixty days.

(7) The number of members of the party. If subordinate branches exist. the number of number of each party branch. if the exact number is not ascertainable, an estimate of the number of actual members. The number of parsons who have contributed any money to the political party or otherwise financially assisted its activities shall be separately reported.

d. The time to register.

Registration under this section shall be completed by placing in the Post Office as registered mail a letter or letters accompanying the required information properly addressed to the proper place of registration on or before 28 February 1946.

SECTION Ⅱ. Regulations governing Political Parties.

a. Party Office.

Each political party shall have a publicly know name or designation papers until it has filed by registered mail addressed to the proper place of registration the exact address and description of a new party headquarters. If the party acts through any branch or affiliated organization, it shall maintain a branch office at each place reported in its registration as its branch offices. Failure to maintain such party headquarters offices or any change of any such office without a prior registration of the new address shall be cause for an order dissolving the party to be issued by the director of the Bureau of fPublic Information. After the issuance of such a dissolution order any action by any official or member of such party, except in dissolution or applying for renewal of registration of the party under regulations issued by the Bureau of Public Information shall be a violation of this ordinance. Each person who participates in any way with any group engaged in political activities without compliance with this section, publicly or secretly, is violating this ordinance.

b. Accounting for Party Funds.

Each political party shall maintain in account books an accurate accounting for all party funds and property. Such Account books shall be securely kept at the party Office and shall be available during business hours for governmental employees for examination by authorized representatives of the Bureau of Public Information who display signed and sealed authorization of such examination. An accurate report of the property and receipts and disbursements by the party shall be filed by registered mail addressed to the proper place for registration on or before the last day of each quarter of the calendar year. Such reports shall show the name and address of each person (or other source or contributions) who has contributed any funds or specify the actual source of all receipts and the actual and if know, the ultimate recipient of all disbursements.

c. Additional regulations.

The Bureau of Public Information may issue addition regulations governing political parties.

SECTION Ⅲ. Party Membership.

a. Persons disqualified.

No person shall be permitted to be a member of any political party who is disqualified by law from holding public office. No person of alien nationality shall be permitted membership. Secret membership affiliation is unlawful. No contribution or direct or indirect financial assistance may lawfully be accepted from any source other than from members of the party. Any person conniving to defeat this prohibition has violated this ordinance.

b. Date of Filing.

Each political party shall file by registered mail addressed to the Governor of each Province in which it has any members an accurate list of the members residing in the province with their correct addresses and each list shall be signed and sealed by party member. The filing shall be completed by completed by placing such registered mail in the Post Office on or before 31 March 1946.

SECTION Ⅳ. Civil and Criminal Liabilities.

The persons holding any official position or exercising any function or influence in the party other than as a member shall be jointly and severally liable in civil or criminal actions for any act in violation of this ordinance. Knowingly to make any false statement in any registration or report by the party is a violation of this ordinance.

SECTION Ⅴ. Any person violating the provisions of this Ordinance shall, upon conviction by a competent count, suffer such penalty as the court may direct.

SECTION Ⅵ. This ordinance shall be effective at 2400 of the date hereof.

ARCHER L. LERCH

Major General, United States Army

Military Governor of Korea.