President Lee Calls Ballot Shortage "Absurd," Mentions Potential Constitutional Amendment

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has expressed the need for a "one-point" constitutional amendment in response to the recent ballot paper shortage incident.

Here is more from reporter Kim Kwan-jin.

[Reporter]

During a briefing at the presidential office today (June 19), President Lee Jae-myung described the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections as an "absurd incident." He criticized the National Election Commission (NEC) by pointing to past issues, including hiring irregularities and problems related to overseas business trips.

[President Lee Jae-myung: It seems (the NEC) has been enjoying a level of freedom bordering on indulgence.]

President Lee noted that because the NEC is an independent constitutional body, any laws or systems created for external oversight and checks are highly likely to be ruled unconstitutional, thus raising the possibility of a constitutional amendment.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Perhaps we should even consider a 'one-point amendment' regarding the NEC. If necessary, I would even be willing to propose it as president.]

He added that while protests regarding voting rights should be protected, the government will respond strictly to the spread of false information or acts that obstruct official duties.

The Central Election Commission's Fact-Finding Committee announced its final investigation results today.

[Cho Hyun-wook, Chairman of the NEC Fact-Finding Committee: This reveals a paralysis in the reporting system and a total failure of the election management system.]

The investigation found that on election day, the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission first assigned serial numbers to unnumbered ballots at 1:49 p.m. in response to requests from polling stations reporting shortages. Despite assigning serial numbers again at 3:05 p.m., they failed to grasp the severity of the situation until 4:46 p.m., and the Central Election Commission only realized the situation after 5:00 p.m.

[Cho Hyun-wook, Chairman of the Fact-Finding Committee: Radical innovation, bordering on a complete overhaul, is necessary...]

The committee recommended that the NEC request investigations into 12 officials, including former Central Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak. It also proposed improvement measures, such as raising the ballot printing ratio to "over 70%" and introducing a full-time system for the commission chairperson.

(Reported by Kang Dong-chul and Yoon Hyung | Video by Choi Jin-hwa | Graphics by Kim Han-gil)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.