Election committee chair: NEC withheld minutes on ballot printing reduction

The head of an investigative committee probing a ballot shortage during South Korea's June 3 local elections stated that the National Election Commission (NEC) has refused to provide minutes from a key meeting. Cho Hyun-wook, chair of the ad-hoc committee, revealed that the NEC denied access to the records detailing a decision to reduce ballot printing.

Cho explained that while the NEC provided summaries of agenda items and resolutions, it withheld the actual meeting minutes, citing a policy of confidentiality. This policy, according to the NEC, is in place to safeguard the independent opinions and deliberations of individual commission members, who must maintain political neutrality.

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We wanted to see the minutes from the committee meeting where the reduction in ballot printing was decided, but the NEC stated that its meeting minutes are confidential. Therefore, we only received the gist of the resolutions and the items proposed, not the meeting minutes themselves.

Despite not having the official minutes, Cho indicated that the committee has gathered information suggesting internal discussions within the NEC. These discussions reportedly involved concerns raised by NEC staff about the logistical challenges and costs associated with printing large quantities of ballots, including the need for thorough verification, storage, and disposal. These concerns apparently led to the formation of a task force aimed at reducing the number of ballots printed.

An NEC official confirmed the commission's stance, stating that the confidentiality of meeting minutes is crucial for ensuring fair operations and preventing undue influence on commission members. However, the official added that the NEC would be willing to submit these records if requested by a special parliamentary investigation committee.

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Meeting minutes are kept confidential because if they are disclosed, the candid remarks of individual NEC members, who must maintain political neutrality, could be hindered, potentially disrupting fair work performance. However, we can submit them if requested by a special committee for a national audit.