[Major Overhaul of the Election Commission ①] Election Commission's Management System Collapses... Constitutional Amendment Needed for Sweeping Reform

Lowered Ballot Printing Standards by Internal Executive Decision Without Official Meetings
Weak Accountability and Oversight Structures
Lead to Infringement of Citizens' Suffrage

Student Councils Announce Public Statements
Political

Editor's NoteThe National Election Commission, a constitutional body, is facing its greatest crisis in over 60 years since its establishment. This article examines the reality and problems of the 'ballot paper shortage incident' that occurred during the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, as well as the possible solutions for improvement going forward.

It has been revealed that the National Election Commission decided to lower the minimum ballot paper printing standard for the June 3 local elections from 60% to 50% of eligible voters through an internal approval process, without any official meeting procedures.

According to materials submitted by Assemblymen Kim Seungsoo and Kim Minjeon of the People Power Party to the National Election Commission, on December 10 last year, the '9th Nationwide Local Election Comprehensive Management Guidelines' reduced the lower standard for the number of ballots to be printed from 60% to 50%. There was no separate meeting, and the decision was made solely by the Secretary General of the National Election Commission. On December 24, the 'Public Election Procedure Manual' was revised by the policy chief’s approval, again without a separate official meeting.

On the afternoon of the 8th, local council members held a "Democracy Funeral" performance in front of the Daegu City Election Commission in relation to the ballot paper shortage incident that occurred during the June 3 local elections. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In line with this guideline, the Songpa District Election Commission set the ballot paper printing rate at 50% for all 25 neighborhoods. The voter turnout in Songpa District was 65.8%, higher than the average in Seoul, but the insufficient printing preparation led to problems. The Election Commission considered that preparing an excessive number of ballot papers could lead to unnecessary controversy, but as a result, the situation escalated into a much more fundamental issue of 'infringement of citizens' suffrage'.

On this day, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism instructed related ministries, via the Office for Government Policy Coordination, to standardize the terminology for the ballot paper shortage incident as an infringement of citizens' suffrage. All kinds of official government reports are now expected to use the term 'infringement of citizens' suffrage' uniformly.

Regardless of party affiliation, the political community has signaled a thorough investigation through a National Assembly inquiry and a "major overhaul" of the election management system. Both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party have each submitted requests for a parliamentary investigation. Both parties have also submitted bills regarding the appointment of a special prosecutor.

On June 10, the anniversary of the June Democracy Movement, major national university student councils will announce a public statement on the current situation regarding the ballot paper shortage at their respective campuses. Public sentiment is uneasy. In polls, public distrust toward the National Election Commission has reached 70%. Especially among people in their 20s and 30s, around 80% responded that they "do not trust" the Election Commission.

On the 9th, police officers stand in front of the entrance to the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where the 'Jamsil Counting Center Blockade Protest' demanding a re-election and condemning the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections is ongoing. Photo by Yonhap News

Public distrust of the Election Commission is the cumulative result of incidents that have occurred over the past decade. The Election Commission has become the center of controversy and public criticism, including the 'basket ballot' incident during the 2022 20th Presidential Election, and allegations of preferential hiring for the children of senior officials in 2022–2023. Roh Jeonghee, the former chairperson of the National Election Commission, resigned to take responsibility for the basket ballot incident, and Roh Taeak, the most recent chairperson, stepped down over the current ballot paper shortage. For the first time, two consecutive heads of this constitutional body, which is one of the five top government posts, have resigned in disgrace.

The main causes of this incident are cited as the Election Commission’s habitual assumptions about voter turnout and decisions made for administrative convenience. The fundamental cause is pointed out as the lack of strong checks and accountability structures compared to the Commission's powerful independence.

Assemblyman Chae Hyunil of the Democratic Party told The Asia Business Daily, "There must be institutional checks and balances so that authority and responsibility go hand in hand. Many bills are currently pending, and this is an opportunity to discuss them from scratch." Assemblyman Bae Junyoung of the People Power Party also appeared on MBC's 'Kim Jongbae's Focus' and stated, "Even if we remove all political bias, the National Assembly must do everything it can—administratively, institutionally, and in terms of budget—to support reforms for the Election Commission."

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