South Korea parties seek fundamental reform of election commission after vote chaos

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties are accelerating efforts to reform the National Election Commission (NEC) in response to the widespread incompetence exposed during the recent local elections. Public outrage over the NEC's failures has spurred both parties to consider drastic measures, including parliamentary investigations and the introduction of special prosecutors, with some even open to constitutional amendments.

Lawmakers are proposing a wave of legislation to enhance external oversight of the NEC. These bills aim to establish a system where external auditors are appointed to the commission, and their annual audit reports are submitted to the National Assembly. Additionally, measures are being prepared to allow the Board of Audit and Inspection to conduct performance audits of the NEC. These initiatives seek to dismantle the current situation where external oversight is virtually impossible due to the NEC's status as an independent constitutional body.

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The special prosecutor's office, which is under the command of Lee Jae-myung and mindful of the Democratic Party, cannot possibly conduct a proper investigation. Refusing the special prosecutor is an admission of guilt.

Some argue that amending the constitution is necessary to strengthen audits or alter the composition of the NEC, including expanding grounds for dismissing commissioners. This is partly due to a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that deemed the Board of Audit and Inspection's audits of the NEC unconstitutional. The pervasive issues, including ballot shortages, missed vote counts, and a general breakdown of discipline within the NEC, have led to questions about its very value as an independent constitutional body.

Reports indicate a decline in staff morale, with an increasing number of employees taking leaves during election periods. Furthermore, former NEC Chairman Noh Tae-hak reportedly attended work on only 34 out of 60 statutory working days in the three months leading up to an election. While some members of the People Power Party, like Jang Dong-hyuk, are pushing for immediate special prosecutors and re-election probes, framing it as a political battle, others urge a focus on bipartisan cooperation for a parliamentary investigation to begin promptly.

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What is the benefit of politicizing everything by linking it to the president? Since both parties have agreed to a parliamentary investigation, we should finalize the details through bipartisan consultation and begin the investigation into the NEC as soon as possible.