South Korea parties agree on 45-day probe into election ballot shortage

South Korean lawmakers have agreed to launch a 45-day parliamentary investigation into a ballot paper shortage that marred the June 6 local elections. The probe aims to uncover the truth behind the "ballot paper shortage incident" and push for reforms within the National Election Commission (NEC).

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We agreed to the investigation to promptly uncover the truth about the infringement of citizens' voting rights and to prepare legislation for a comprehensive reform of the election commission.

The agreement, reached on June 16, between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party, will see the special committee process its investigation plan in a plenary session on June 18. The investigation will focus on alleged infringements of citizens' right to vote and will extend to reforms for the election management body. "We agreed to the investigation to promptly uncover the truth about the infringement of citizens' voting rights and to prepare legislation for a comprehensive reform of the election commission," said Chun Jun-ho, the ruling party's deputy floor leader.

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The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration is also involved in the situation, so both parties have agreed to actively cooperate in summoning witnesses, including the minister and public officials from the ministry, as well as relevant public officials from the affected cities and counties.

Both parties also agreed to actively cooperate in summoning witnesses. These will include the Minister of the Interior and Public Administration, relevant ministry officials, and local election officials from areas affected by the shortage. The investigation will cover the NEC and its regional branches. The duration is set at 45 days, with the possibility of extension if further investigation is deemed necessary. The People Power Party will chair the special committee, which will comprise an equal number of members from both parties, nine each, plus two from minor parties to be decided by the National Assembly speaker.

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We must pursue legislative reforms, including the introduction of a standing committee system for the NEC chairman and the expansion of the standing committee, as well as the establishment of an independent audit body within the NEC, in the current regular session.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party's task force on institutional reform for safeguarding citizens' suffrage proposed a "second-phase reform" for the NEC. This includes introducing a standing committee system for the NEC chairman and expanding the standing committee, along with establishing an independent audit body within the commission. These legislative reforms are planned for the current regular session. A second phase, involving constitutional amendments to explicitly include audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection, is slated for early next year. The task force plans to finalize institutional improvement measures by its next meeting, following a forum with experts on June 17.

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We will comprehensively prepare institutional improvement measures by the next meeting, starting with a forum with experts on the 17th.