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Ruling Party Lawmaker Urges Recount and Special Prosecutor for Election Ballot Issues
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Ruling Party Lawmaker Urges Recount and Special Prosecutor for Election Ballot Issues

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A ruling party lawmaker called for a "two-pronged approach" of a recount and a special prosecutor to address issues with ballot paper shortages in the 6/3 local elections.
  • He argued that a recount verifies facts publicly, while a special prosecutor investigates legal responsibility.
  • The lawmaker stressed that both actions are necessary to restore public trust in the electoral process.

A prominent lawmaker from the ruling party has advocated for a dual strategy involving both a public recount of ballots and the appointment of a special prosecutor to address irregularities in the recent 6/3 local elections. The call comes in response to a shortage of ballot papers, which has raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

A recount and a special prosecutor must go together like a two-pronged approach.

— Yun Sang-hyunThe ruling party lawmaker outlined his proposed solution to the election irregularities.

Yun Sang-hyun, who chairs the special committee investigating the ballot paper shortage, stated that a recount and a special prosecutor are not mutually exclusive options but rather complementary measures. He emphasized that a public recount serves to verify facts before the public, while a special prosecutor's investigation would focus on uncovering legal responsibilities according to law and principle.

A recount is a procedure to verify facts in front of the public, and a special prosecutor is a procedure to investigate responsibility according to law and principle.

— Yun Sang-hyunHe explained the distinct but related roles of a recount and a special prosecutor.

"A recount cannot replace a special prosecutor, nor can a special prosecutor replace a recount," Yun explained. "One is about confirming facts, and the other is about revealing responsibility. The two procedures are not a matter of choice but are complementary."

Recounts and special prosecutors are not a matter of choice but are complementary.

— Yun Sang-hyunYun emphasized that both measures are necessary to address public concerns.

Yun stressed that his committee has a duty to uncover the truth in a way that the public can accept, free from political advantage or disadvantage. He asserted that all possible efforts must be made to restore citizens' right to vote and public confidence in elections. "Suspicion is not resolved by time. Transparent verification can resolve suspicion, and thorough investigation can reveal responsibility," he stated, adding that the time for both a special prosecutor and a recount is now.

Suspicion is not resolved by time. Transparent verification can resolve suspicion, and thorough investigation can reveal responsibility.

— Yun Sang-hyunHe argued for immediate action to clear up doubts surrounding the election.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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