Prime Minister Kim Proposes Single-Point Constitutional Amendment on Election Commission Through Public Debate

Attending a Citizen Forum on Election Commission Reform

Prime Minister Kim Minseok on the 21st proposed a single-point constitutional amendment through national public debate as a measure to reform the National Election Commission.

At a citizen forum on election commission reform held at Korea National Sport University in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on this day, Prime Minister Kim stated, "Fundamentally, unless alternatives that the public can understand are outlined, it will be difficult to resolve this issue. If possible, I think it would be good to pursue this (single-point constitutional amendment) through nationwide public discussion that transcends party lines."

Regarding the Election Commission, he pointed out practical challenges, saying, "It is difficult to dismantle it, and equally difficult to revert to the structure under the former Ministry of Home Affairs." He added, "Even if it requires a constitutional amendment, I believe the only answer is to respect the independence of the Election Commission while also ensuring it is subject to external checks and oversight. These days, I am deeply contemplating the idea of a single-point constitutional amendment."

Prime Minister Kim also noted, "Coincidentally, the President has also mentioned this, and recently I have frequently been seeking the opinions of constitutional scholars," adding, "I am listening to various proposals on how to address the composition and independence of the Election Commission through a single-point constitutional amendment."

He also stressed the need to refrain from partisan approaches. He said, "The issue of Election Commission reform must be fundamentally resolved. If a single-point constitutional amendment is necessary, it should be pursued," emphasizing, "This should not be approached from a partisan perspective. I hope both ruling and opposition parties, along with the public, will engage in discussions with a commitment to seeing this through to the end."

He continued, "Comprehensive discussion and public debate on the overall election system are inevitable," and added, "On this occasion, various technical issues such as early voting and voting hours are being raised. Even if not all problems are solved, it is important to at least start the discussion."

Regarding the ballot shortage incident that triggered the issue with the Election Commission, Prime Minister Kim remarked, "Democracy truly seems distant and challenging," and recalled, "I thought our society had made progress in democracy by properly addressing the 12·3 Martial Law Incident, but now we are faced with a new fundamental issue."

He further pointed out, "The basic political rights of citizens, which are fundamental to democracy, have been undermined by the Election Commission's poor management, leading to widespread public outrage. At the same time, in the process of overcoming this, there have also been illegal and deviant acts that disrupt the basic order and daily lives of citizens under the pretext of democracy—these two problems have occurred simultaneously."

Regarding the wave of public declarations on university campuses, he noted, "This reflects that our society is demanding a different level of fairness and trust," and suggested, "Perhaps the government could find ways to support public forums led by young people and university students."

Yonhap News

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