Former National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak. [Yonhap]
Former National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak. [Yonhap]

The National Election Commission said Wednesday it would support a joint public verification of ballot boxes and ballots stored at the handball gymnasium in Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, to be conducted alongside ruling and opposition parties and civic groups.

Kang Dong-wan, acting secretary-general of the NEC, made the remarks at a plenary session of the National Assembly's special parliamentary investigation committee.

When People Power Party lawmaker Yun Sang-hyun, who chairs the special committee, asked whether the commission was proposing a public verification — together with ruling and opposition parties and civic groups, in conjunction with election appeals — to confirm there were no irregularities with the ballot boxes or ballots, Kang replied, "If you decide to do so, we will proceed accordingly."

Earlier in the session, Kang responded to a question from Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Yong-man, who noted that the ballot boxes and ballots at the Jamsil counting center had been sitting there for 26 days. Kang said the commission had concluded it "would not be easy to resolve on our own" and that "the most reasonable approach would be for the special parliamentary investigation committee to pass a resolution to jointly inspect the counting center in connection with the election appeals process."

Kang said the commission had confirmed that approximately 2.47 million ballots were stored inside the Songpa-gu counting center, adding that having NEC staff — rather than outside personnel — count them would cost around 50 million won ($32,300).

Wi Cheol-hwan, acting chairman of the NEC, said the commission had been receiving official letters from Korea Sports Association officials requesting cost compensation due to the prolonged protests, and that he felt "a sense of urgency that this situation must be resolved quickly."

'Those who created the suspicions must convince the public'

Meanwhile, ruling and opposition party lawmakers alike took the NEC to task Wednesday, speaking in unison over what they called the commission's lack of cooperation in submitting documents.

Democratic Party lawmaker Yun Geon-young, the committee's floor leader, said the commission had not only failed to send witnesses to the first institutional briefing but had also submitted documents that were incomplete and disorganized. He added that when the committee requested detailed records of complaint calls and civil petitions received at the situation room on election day, the NEC said it could not provide them because no intake log had been kept.

People Power Party floor leader Seo Beom-su said NEC secretariat staff who had not appeared before the parliamentary investigation were "still in iron-clad jobs." He criticized the commission for delivering two volumes of documents at 6:18 p.m. Monday — after business hours, on the eve of Tuesday's scheduled briefing. He said that when the committee tried to contact the NEC to review the materials, all they heard was an automated message saying the office was closed.

Committee Chairman Yun Sang-hyun said the National Assembly has the right to demand document submissions under the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Administration, calling it "a demand of the people," and declared that "anyone who refuses to submit documents is the culprit."

Yun also warned that anyone who refuses document submissions without justifiable cause and is reported by the committee could face up to three years in prison or a fine of between 10 million and 30 million won.

"It is you at the NEC who created the suspicions, and it is you who must resolve them," Yun said. "Please convince the public."


yul@heraldcorp.com