'Chungju Man' Kim Seon-tae says public servants were harmed by election commission

YouTuber Kim Seon-tae, widely known as 'Chungju Man' during his tenure as a public official in Chungju City, has voiced strong criticism against the National Election Commission (NEC). Kim stated that local government officials, including himself, bore the brunt of election-related duties delegated by the NEC, causing significant hardship and frustration.

During a YouTube video discussing an advertisement, Kim recounted his experiences as a public servant. He emphasized that while he remained politically neutral, the election process itself was a source of considerable distress. "We received a lot of damage from the NEC," Kim said, referring to the extensive tasks local officials were assigned. He specifically mentioned duties like posting campaign posters and setting up polling booths, which he felt were unfairly shifted from the NEC to local government employees.

Kim's sentiments align with broader complaints from public service unions. The Government Workers' Union previously held a press conference criticizing the NEC's "deformed structure" where it maintains a large organizational network but delegates core election responsibilities to local government officials. The union argued that this practice has been ongoing for decades, compromising the safety and working conditions of local public servants.

Both Kim and the union are calling for a fundamental change. Kim stressed the importance of protecting the right to vote, stating, "It is wrong. Leaving politics aside, it needs to fundamentally change." The Government Workers' Union demands that the NEC directly perform and take responsibility for its core duties, rather than offloading them onto local government employees. They argue that this delegation ultimately undermines the integrity of elections.