Jung Jeom-sik Calls for Special Investigation Amid Election Ballot Shortage

Jung Jeom-sik, the floor leader of the People Power Party, stated on June 18 that the lack of investigative authority in the ongoing national inquiry into the ballot shortage issue limits the ability to uncover the truth. He called for the establishment of a special investigation team.

During a party meeting at the National Assembly, Jung asserted, "We must hold not only the Election Commission accountable but also the Lee government regarding this situation." He emphasized the need for thorough scrutiny of the matter.

He pointed out, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is the primary agency overseeing elections. Reports indicate that Minister Yoon Ho-joong visited the local election support situation room established at government offices on election day, urging that this local election be the cleanest and fairest possible. However, media reports suggest that the ballot shortage in Seoul was only reported to the ministry at 7:14 a.m. the day after the election."

Jung continued, "Despite this, the ministry took no action regarding the situation. The Lee government is now shifting all responsibility to the Election Commission while remaining indifferent. We will closely examine whether the Lee government bears any responsibility for the current situation and whether there are opportunities for the government to rectify the mistakes of the Election Commission and others."

He added, "The purpose of this national inquiry includes not only uncovering the truth but also electoral reform. I hope discussions will be actively held on measures to reform the Election Commission to the extent of disbandment, as well as on reforms to establish a trustworthy electoral system for the public."

Jung expressed skepticism about the ability of the joint investigation team, led by acting chair Wi Cheol-hwan of the Central Election Commission, to conduct a proper investigation, stating, "There are significant doubts about whether they can carry out a thorough investigation. We will now focus our efforts on pushing for the establishment of a special investigation team."