Special Prosecutor Recommendation Committee for Election Commission Holds First Meeting... Two Final Candidates to Be Selected on the 14th

Each Group to Recommend Three Candidates

Applications Accepted Until the 12th... Kim Yongkwan Elected as Chairperson

The process of recommending candidates for the special prosecutor to investigate the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections has officially begun.

On August 7, the Citizen Recommendation Committee to Recommend Candidates for the Special Prosecutor of the National Election Commission for the Truth Investigation of the June 3 Local Election Ballot Shortage Crisis held its first meeting at the National Assembly. The committee decided to select two final candidates to recommend to the President by August 14.

On the 7th, at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, the citizen recommendation committee members of the 'Election Management Committee Special Investigation' to investigate the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections are reviewing documents while waiting for the first meeting to start. 2026.8.7 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On this day, the recommendation committee sent a request for special prosecutor candidate recommendations to the Korean Bar Association and the Law School Council. In accordance with the special prosecutor act agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties, each organization must recommend three candidates within five days of receiving the request.

The committee plans to receive a total of six candidates from these two organizations by August 12. They will then hold a second meeting on August 14 to select the final two candidates to recommend to the President.

After the meeting, Attorney Cho Ki-yeon told reporters, "This special prosecutor is being launched by bipartisan agreement in response to this unprecedented violation of citizens' suffrage. We must select a prosecutor who can resolve public distrust, independently of any political interests, and clarify the National Election Commission's poor election management and the facts behind the issues so as to prevent recurrence."

On the same day, the committee also approved agenda items related to electing the committee chair and requesting the submission of materials. The attending members unanimously elected attorney Kim Yong-gwan, the eldest and a nominee of the People Power Party, as committee chair. Of the six total committee members, five attended the meeting; only attorney Choi Chang-ho, another nominee of the People Power Party, was absent due to scheduling conflicts.

The recommendation committee consists of six members—three recommended by each party. The Democratic Party of Korea nominated attorneys Cho Doo-hyun and Cho Ki-yeon, as well as Associate Professor Ha Sang-eung of Sogang University's Department of Political Science and International Relations. The People Power Party nominated attorneys Kim Yong-gwan and Choi Chang-ho, along with Professor Cha Jin-ah of Korea University Law School.

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