Blue House Says It Will Heed the Public Sentiment Shown in the Local Elections; Tells NEC to Take Responsible Action

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\r\n[Financial News] The Blue House said on the 4th that, in response to the results of the local elections held the previous day, "the government will carefully heed public sentiment and use this as an opportunity to stabilize livelihoods, promote economic growth, and strengthen national unity."
Kang Yoo-jung, senior Blue House spokesperson, said at a briefing at Chunchugwan on the same day, "Every election is an opportunity to hear the diverse voices of the people," and added that the government would act accordingly.
Kang said, "Now that we have confirmed the public's diverse voices through the election, the government will do even more to heed public sentiment." She added, "This should help better advance efforts to stabilize livelihoods, drive economic growth, and foster national unity based on those gains."
At the start of a meeting that day, President Lee referred to the beginning of the second year of the people's sovereign government and urged officials to make every effort to accelerate state affairs.
Asked about the direction of future state administration, Kang said, "I understand that there will be an explanation on the direction of state affairs and the areas that will be proposed in the not-too-distant future."
She also expressed strong regret over the shortage of ballots that emerged during the local elections the previous day. Kang said, "There was a remark that it is very regrettable that a flaw occurred in election management, which should have been thorough," adding, "The relevant agencies must clearly determine why it happened, and if anyone is responsible, they must also be held accountable."
The Blue House, however, drew a line, saying this did not mean direct sanctions against the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea (NEC). Kang said, "It means the NEC must take all responsible measures so that the people's right to vote is not undermined." She added, "The NEC should take this matter seriously and carry out a thorough review and the necessary follow-up measures on its own."
She added, "The Blue House is closely monitoring the matter."
Regarding the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle and changes to the Blue House senior staff after the local elections, she said, "No decision has been made yet on a cabinet reshuffle." Kang added, "Based on the public sentiment reflected in the local election results, we can once again closely review state administration as a whole and consider changes if necessary," but noted, "No personnel decisions have been made."
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west@fnnews.com Sung Seok-woo Reporter