Kim Eun-hye Proposes 'Ballot Manipulation Special Prosecutor Act'... "Deprivation of Suffrage Must Face Justice"

Aimed at Uncovering the Truth Behind the Ballot Paper Shortage
Special Prosecutor to Be Appointed by President After Recommendation from Opposition Party

Kim Eunhye, a member of the People Power Party, on June 8 sponsored the "June 3 Local Election Ballot Rigging Special Prosecutor Act," which aims to uncover the truth and determine responsibility for the ballot paper shortage that occurred during the 9th nationwide local simultaneous elections.

On this day, Assemblywoman Kim announced that she had sponsored the "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for Uncovering the Truth Behind the 9th Nationwide Local Simultaneous Election Ballot Rigging Incident."

Yonhap News Agency

This special prosecutor bill targets investigations into: ▲all criminal suspicions related to the ballot paper shortage incident; ▲all criminal suspicions related to negligence of management and evasion of responsibility by the Presidential Office and government agencies; ▲all criminal suspicions related to state violence at citizen protests; ▲all criminal suspicions related to corruption within the National Election Commission; and ▲all related complaints and accusations.

The bill also stipulates that the Speaker of the National Assembly must submit a written request to the President to appoint one special prosecutor within three days of the law’s enactment. The President, within three days of receiving the request, must formally ask the People Power Party, as the main opposition party, to recommend candidates in writing. The People Power Party will then recommend two candidates, from which the President must appoint one as special prosecutor. This is the main framework of the bill.

The special prosecutor's team will consist of four assistant special prosecutors, 20 dispatched prosecutors, 40 special investigators, and 40 dispatched public officials. The investigation period is set at 90 days, starting from the day after the preparation period ends. If the investigation cannot be completed within this period, or if it is difficult to decide whether to prosecute, the period may be extended twice, for up to 30 days each time.

Assemblywoman Kim stated, "The deprivation of suffrage is a grave violation of constitutional order that transcends party and faction," emphasizing, "For the Lee Jaemyung administration to acknowledge this and correct it, a special prosecutor is the answer." She added, "We will clarify the facts, bring those who undermined democracy to justice, and work to establish legal and institutional measures to ensure that citizens' right to vote is never again violated."

Meanwhile, Jang Donghyuk, representative of the People Power Party, said at a press conference that afternoon that he had reached an agreement on handling the special prosecutor bill after meeting with Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party. Jang stated, "As soon as the People Power Party's parliamentary leadership is formed, I hope this issue will be addressed swiftly without any delay."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.