KOR
▲ National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik announces the approval of the parliamentary investigation plan into the infringement of citizens' voting rights, including the ballot shortage during the 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections, at the third plenary session of the June extraordinary parliamentary session held at the National Assembly on June 18.
A parliamentary investigation into the ballot shortage incident during the June 3 local elections will be conducted for 45 days, starting today (June 18) and running through August 1.
The National Assembly held a plenary session today and approved, by bipartisan agreement, the "Plan for a Parliamentary Investigation into the Truth Behind the Infringement of Citizens' Voting Rights, Including the Ballot Shortage During the 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections, and for Election Management Reform."
The plan passed the National Assembly with 250 votes in favor and 1 against, out of 251 members present.
The sole dissenting vote was cast by independent lawmaker Choi Hyuk-jin.
The investigation will target the National Election Commission (NEC) and its subordinate election commissions at various levels.
The scope of the investigation includes the circumstances surrounding the ballot shortage, potential negligence in establishing criteria for calculating the number of ballots to be printed, and on-site management by the NEC on the day of the incident. It will also examine when the NEC became aware of the ballot shortage and the appropriateness of its subsequent response.
Additionally, the probe will cover the extent of the infringement on voting rights caused by delays, gaps in election administration such as delayed transport of ballot boxes, and police actions regarding protests at polling and counting stations.
The Special Committee on Parliamentary Investigation plans to determine accountability, including potential dereliction of duty by the NEC during the incident and its aftermath, and to devise measures for comprehensive system reform and the prevention of recurrence.
The investigation period may be extended through a resolution at a plenary session.
The special committee is composed of 18 members: 9 from the Democratic Party of Korea, 7 from the People Power Party, 1 from the Rebuilding Korea Party, and 1 from the New Reform Party. Representative Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party will serve as the committee chair.
Meanwhile, the ruling and opposition parties also reached an agreement to process 30 non-contentious bills during today's plenary session.
Bills passed include an amendment to the National Election Commission Act, which prohibits former NEC officials from being elected as standing commissioners of the central NEC within three years of their retirement, and an amendment to the Military Merit Decoration Act, which expands the scope of bereaved families eligible to apply for the Korean War Military Merit Decoration.
Furthermore, the National Assembly passed the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, which mandates that heads of local governments establish evacuation plans for vulnerable groups; the Bicycle Act, which provides grounds for regulating "fixie" (fixed-gear) bicycles; and an amendment to the Korean Food Promotion Act, which designates October 24 as "Korean Food Day."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
