Civic group that filed charges against election commission chief questioned

'Chairman's term ended in March — resignation was a deception'

Kim Sun-hwan, secretary-general of the People's Livelihood Committee, arrives at the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, on Monday to be questioned as a complainant in a case involving allegations of dereliction of duty against National Election Commission officials over the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. [Yonhap]
Kim Sun-hwan, secretary-general of the People's Livelihood Committee, arrives at the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, on Monday to be questioned as a complainant in a case involving allegations of dereliction of duty against National Election Commission officials over the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. [Yonhap]

Police have launched a full investigation into the ballot shortage that marred the June 3 local elections, with a joint police-prosecution task force also set to be established soon.

The Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Monday began questioning Kim Sun-hwan, secretary-general of the People's Livelihood Committee, a civic group that filed charges of dereliction of duty and other offenses against National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak and other commission officials.

Appearing at the unit's office in Gangdong-gu that day, Kim said the matter transcended political lines. "This is about suffrage — a right every citizen must hold dear," he said. "Running out of ballots is something that would make even communist North Korea laugh."

Kim also said NEC Chairman Noh's term had already expired in March, calling the chairman's resignation "an act of deception." "The NEC has long claimed to be an independent constitutional body — it must now clearly account for how it spent public money," he said. "If it denies even that, it has no right to exist as a constitutional institution."

Kim said the NEC had secured a budget for ballots equivalent to 1.1 times the number of eligible voters but prepared only enough for 50 percent of them, and called for a thorough investigation.

Police said Monday's questioning marks the start of a broader probe into whether the NEC followed proper ballot distribution standards and how decisions were made at the time.

Investigators have already obtained records from chat groups used by election workers and questioned civil servants mobilized for election duties. Police also identified and interviewed citizens who were unable to vote due to the shortage, as well as printing companies involved in ballot production.

"Until the joint task force is fully operational, police will proceed swiftly and by the book — including today's questioning of the complainant — to ensure there is no disruption to the task force's work," a police official said.


20ki@heraldcorp.com