Special Committee Conducts Second On-Site Investigation of Election Commission... Ruling and Opposition Clash Over Witnesses and Special Prosecutor Nomination

Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Witness Selection: Ministers of Defense, Interior, and Presidential Chief of Staff
In-Depth Review of the Central and Seoul Election Commissions' Response to the Ballot Shortage Crisis

On July 7, the National Assembly's Special Committee for the National Investigation on the Shortage of Ballots in the June 3 Local Elections and the Reform of the Election Commission conducted its second on-site investigation, targeting the Central Election Commission and the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission. The ruling and opposition parties continued to clash over the adoption of witnesses for the national investigation and the method of recommending a special prosecutor for the Election Commission.

On the morning of the same day, the Special Committee held a general meeting at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, focusing its examination on when the Central and Seoul Election Commissions became aware of the ballot shortage, their reporting and decision-making systems, and their response processes at the time of the incident.

Yoon Sanghyun, Chairman of the Special Committee for the National Investigation on the Ballot Paper Shortage Incident in the June 3 Local Elections, is striking the gavel during the on-site investigation held on the 7th at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News

Differing opinions also emerged between the ruling and opposition parties at the on-site investigation regarding the selection of witnesses. The People Power Party argued that the Minister of National Defense should be called as a witness to clarify the circumstances surrounding the infringement of young soldiers' voting rights, and the Minister of the Interior and Safety should be called to review the overall election management. When the opposition party added the Presidential Chief of Staff to the list of proposed witnesses, the Democratic Party of Korea protested, calling it an excessive demand.

Beomsoo Seo, a member of the People Power Party, stated, "To thoroughly investigate the overall issue, not only ministers but also officials from the presidential office should appear to clarify the facts and present countermeasures." On the other hand, Kunyoung Yoon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out, "The presidential office and the Election Commission are clearly separate institutions. Calling in the Chief of Staff is excessive by any standard. Political strife should be eliminated from the national investigation."

The ruling and opposition parties also disagreed on the method for recommending a special prosecutor for the Election Commission. The Democratic Party of Korea proposed a third-party recommendation system to ensure political neutrality, while the People Power Party insisted that the main opposition party's recommendation was necessary for an effective investigation.

Heeyong Jeong, Secretary General of the People Power Party, asserted at a party strategy meeting on the same day, "To uncover the truth about this incident and the overall state of election management, a special prosecutor recommended by the main opposition party must be accepted unconditionally." In response, Byeongdo Han, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, "Although we proposed a third-party recommendation system to minimize political controversy, the People Power Party is only considering political gain and insisting on a unilateral opposition party nomination."

The Special Committee is also considering recounting the ballots stored at the Handball Stadium in Olympic Park, with both ruling and opposition lawmakers and civic groups participating as observers. Yoon Sanghyun, Chairman of the Special Committee, stated, "I proposed this to both parties with the intention that public verification is necessary for an accurate recount," and one floor leader also said, "We will actively review the proposal."

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