Ruling and Opposition Parties Submit Request for National Assembly Investigation into Ballot Paper Shortage Incident

The ruling and opposition parties have decided to submit a request for a National Assembly investigation into the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections. The move suggests that fact-finding at the parliamentary level is gathering pace. The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said it would push for reform of the National Election Commission (NEC) through the creation of an Election System Reform Task Force, and would also consider a special counsel and even constitutional revision if necessary. The People Power Party said the incident was a shared responsibility of the NEC, the government, and the ruling party. It is calling for both a National Assembly investigation and a special counsel probe, while party leader Jang Dong-hyeok is directly pressuring President Lee Jae-myung by requesting a summit.
Han Byung-do, floor leader of the DPK, held a press briefing at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on the 7th and said, "A shortage of ballot papers is a serious incident that should never occur in a democratic country." He added, "The DPK will submit a request for a National Assembly investigation tomorrow, on the 8th, and ask the Speaker of the National Assembly to convene a plenary session quickly."
Through the National Assembly investigation, the DPK plans to uncover the full truth, including not only the NEC's administrative mistakes but also structural problems in the commission's internal system. He stressed, "This is not something that ends with the resignation of the NEC chairperson and the secretary-general." He added, "We must clearly determine why this happened, whether there were structural flaws in the NEC's internal system, and push ahead with bold reforms."
The party also plans to establish an Election System Reform TF in the National Assembly and conduct a full review of related laws, including the Public Official Election Act and the National Election Commission Act. To improve the NEC's operations, the TF is expected to discuss broad and comprehensive measures, such as placing the commission under audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) or reorganizing it into a non-permanent body. Since the NEC is a constitutional institution, the DPK says it will consider constitutional revision if necessary.
The People Power Party also plans to submit a request for a National Assembly investigation to the legislature on the 8th as a party line. The party has continued its offensive against the government and the ruling party in the wake of the incident. It says a special prosecutor law should be introduced, along with a parliamentary investigation. Jang Dong-hyeok also held a press conference that day and proposed a summit with President Lee Jae-myung before he leaves for a Europe trip on the 9th. Jang said, "The public is demanding an immediate answer from President Lee Jae-myung. We want to meet him in person, convey the voices of citizens, and hear a responsible response from the president." He added, "If he leaves on the overseas trip without addressing this issue, he will face even greater resistance."
The People Power Party is also continuing to call for an election rerun over the ballot paper shortage. Regarding a protest demanding a rerun at Olympic Park in Seoul's Songpa District, Jang described it as a "civil resistance movement" and said, "An 'election rerun' is now no longer something that can be avoided." The party is also still leaving open the possibility of filing an election invalidation lawsuit.
The People Power Party continues to maintain that early voting should also be abolished. Jang said, "Early voting should be eliminated as well," adding, "Rather than dismissing this as the claim of election fraud believers, we should cut off the roots of election fraud claims."
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haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter