Minister Jeong Seong-ho posts Facebook criticism of election commission crisis

"On 39th anniversary of June Struggle, we will carry on its spirit through truth-finding"

"Parliamentary investigation must begin swiftly; we must answer the call of youth in the streets"

Minister of Justice Jeong Seong-ho. [Yonhap]
Minister of Justice Jeong Seong-ho. [Yonhap]

By Yang Geun-hyuk, The Herald Business

Minister of Justice Jeong Seong-ho criticized the National Election Commission over the ballot shortage that marred the June 3 local elections, saying the constitutional body's "wholesale incompetence and negligence" had violated the voting rights that citizens had fought hard to win.

Jeong posted the remarks Wednesday afternoon on his Facebook page under the title "On the 39th anniversary of the June Struggle, we will carry on its spirit through a thorough investigation into the election commission's violation of citizens' suffrage." He called the ballot shortage "a grave problem that cannot be overlooked."

In the post, Jeong said the June 10, 1987 pro-democracy uprising was "a turning point and a deep root of South Korean democracy." He added that citizens had stood against dictatorship and authoritarianism through peaceful resistance to enshrine the constitutional principle that all power derives from the people — and to win direct presidential elections through constitutional reform.

He said the courage, sacrifice and determination of countless citizens — including democracy martyrs Park Jong-cheol and Lee Han-yeol — had given rise to what the world now admires as "K-democracy" and a great Republic of Korea. He called it "a triumph of popular sovereignty and the beginning of a true people's democratic republic."

Turning to what he called the "election commission crisis," Jeong said the truth must be uncovered and accountability strictly enforced. "The election commission must humbly accept the people's stern rebuke and embrace fundamental reform — at the level of dissolution — to restore public trust," he said. "Its status as an independent constitutional body must not become a shield for evading responsibility."

He also called for a swift start to a parliamentary investigation. "We must respond to the democratic convictions and legitimate demands of the many young people in their 20s and 30s, and the citizens who have gathered in the streets out of righteous anger over the violation of their right to vote," he said.

Jeong said the youth and citizens in the streets were proving themselves to be mature sovereigns by choosing facts, reason, peace and order over hatred and delusion, standing against a fringe of election-fraud conspiracy theorists and extremists trying to taint the movement. "The pure will of young people and citizens across generations, regions and political lines — all seeking the realization of popular sovereignty — mirrors the spirit of the June Struggle and its yearning for democracy," he said.

Jeong doubled down on the government's commitment to accountability, saying it had launched a joint investigative task force bringing together prosecutors and police for a swift and thorough inquiry. "The Ministry of Justice will also devote every resource to fully establishing the circumstances of this incident and where responsibility lies," he said.

He added that the ministry would honor the spirit of the June 10 pro-democracy uprising and "fulfill its responsibility in building a Republic of Korea where popular sovereignty, human rights and the rule of law are alive and breathing."


yg@heraldcorp.com