President Lee Calls for Joint Investigation into Election Commission Crisis

 

 
President Lee Jae-myung announced on June 7 that he has directed the establishment of a joint investigation team involving both the police and prosecutors to clarify responsibility regarding the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.
In a statement on Facebook, President Lee emphasized that the government will take all necessary measures at the administrative level, considering the seriousness of the situation.
He criticized the National Election Commission for causing significant obstacles to citizens' exercise of their voting rights during the elections, stating, "The incident itself is hard to comprehend, and the subsequent response and explanations to the public have been insufficient."
President Lee asserted that citizens' voting rights are a constitutional right that should never be restricted or violated, calling the incident a serious matter that undermines the foundation of popular sovereignty. He expressed deep regret both as a citizen and as the president responsible for the government.
He also requested a national investigation by the National Assembly, urging it to swiftly clarify the facts surrounding the incident and to develop measures to prevent its recurrence. He added that he hopes discussions on fundamental institutional improvements for the Election Commission will also take place.
President Lee highlighted that the reason the chairperson of the National Election Commission is classified as one of the five key state officials is that the commission, like the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, is an independent body with corresponding authority, obligations, and responsibilities. He stressed that an independent body that loses public trust has no reason to exist.
He concluded by stating that the Election Commission must take this incident seriously and demonstrate a strong commitment to reform and renewal that meets the level of public trust.  

 
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is set to visit SK's headquarters on June 8 to meet with Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group. On the same day, Jeon Young-hyun, CEO of Samsung Electronics and head of the Device Solutions (DS) division, is also expected to meet with Huang.
According to Yonhap News on June 7, Huang will meet with Chairman Choi at 8:30 a.m. at the SK Seorin Building in Jongno, Seoul, to discuss collaboration between the two companies. After their meeting, they will hold a press Q&A regarding their partnership.
The discussions are anticipated to focus on cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor businesses. Huang has also indicated plans to meet with Vice Chairman Jeon at a Samsung location in Gangnam, where he expressed his eagerness to discuss potential collaborations.
Huang and Jeon are expected to address issues related to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply.
Following his meeting at SK, Huang is likely to meet with LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and LG Electronics CEO Ryu Jae-cheol at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido.
He will also visit Seoul National University and the Hyundai Motor Company headquarters in Yangjae, where he is scheduled to meet with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin.
Additionally, Huang will participate in the "Korea AI Ecosystem Reception" at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, which will include representatives from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, SK Telecom, Hyundai Motor Group, LG Electronics, Naver, Krafton, Upstage, and Doosan Robotics.  

 
Han Sung-sook, the Minister of SMEs and Startups, has been nominated as the new Prime Minister, following her unexpected appointment as the first Minister of the newly established ministry last June.
Initially, it was widely expected that the next Prime Minister would be someone with a political background, given the need for strong leadership and cabinet control. However, President Lee Jae-myung has once again defied expectations by selecting a private sector representative for the role, signaling a focus on economic recovery and the transition to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital industries in the second year of his administration.
Han, a graduate of Sookmyung Women’s University with a degree in English literature, began her career as a reporter for a computer magazine. She later became the head of public relations at Nanum Technology and joined the founding team of Empas in 1997. In 2007, she moved to NHN, the predecessor of Naver, where she played a key role in transforming Naver from a search service into a content and commerce platform, eventually becoming its CEO after a decade. Han was appointed as the first female CEO of Naver in 2017 and held the position until 2022.  

 
The crisis surrounding the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections, which prevented some voters from casting their votes, has now entered a phase of investigation. The police have begun investigating complaints against National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak, amid growing demands for constitutional appeals and protests calling for a rerun of the election.
According to legal sources on June 7, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Special Investigation Unit will conduct interviews with complainants regarding Chairman Noh and others starting at 9:30 a.m. on June 8.
The Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasure Committee has filed complaints against Chairman Noh for neglect of duty and abuse of authority. The committee submitted an amended complaint the previous day, adding allegations of embezzlement and breach of trust.
In addition to the Citizens' Committee, several civic groups have also filed complaints.
Six organizations, including the Speculative Monitoring Capital Center, the National Solidarity, the Justice Solidarity, and the Mugunghwa Club for Rule of Law and Democracy, have submitted complaints to the National Police Agency through the National Petition Office, including all eight members of the National Election Commission as targets.
The police are reportedly focusing on legal reviews, as cases of ballot shortages due to failure in election demand forecasting are rare. They are examining relevant precedents and the applicability of laws.
The police plan to verify whether the Election Commission adhered to its standards for ballot distribution and the decision-making process through future data collection and interviews with involved parties.
On the same day, citizens demanding a rerun of the election gathered for protests near the handball stadium in Olympic Park, Songpa District, Seoul. Participants chanted slogans calling for a rerun of the election near the entrance to the counting center.
This protest is understood to be taking place spontaneously without an organized group.