The Key Issue is the Secretary-General Appointment? Controversy Over Ruling and Opposition Parties' Control of the Election Commission Ahead of the General Election

Heated Debate Over Election Commission Audit Authority
People Power Party Holds Weekend Supreme Council and Party Meeting
Opposition Views Election Commission Secretary-General as Key Issue

The controversy surrounding the National Election Commission (NEC), which is cornered due to allegations of recruitment irregularities, is ultimately escalating into a power struggle over the appointment of the NEC's influential 'Secretary-General.'

On the afternoon of the 5th, the People Power Party (PPP) held a party meeting to discuss countermeasures against the NEC's refusal to undergo an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI). This follows an unusually held weekend Supreme Council meeting the previous day, continuing their strong response.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the PPP, said the day before, "The stench of rot is overwhelming from the top ranks, yet the organization still locks its doors, insists on a closed attitude, and ignores the demands of the people. Such an organization can no longer be called an institution of a democratic country." He urged, "Chairman Noh Tae-ak of the NEC should no longer show a shameful appearance and demonstrate responsibility through resignation."

They are demanding the resignation of Chairman Noh, who is one of the five constitutional heads of state.

Ruling and Opposition Parties' Battle Over Positions Escalates into NEC 'Daddy Chance'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoo Sang-beom, chief spokesperson for the PPP, also said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the same day, "The NEC is subject to audit by the BAI, and I believe the BAI should conduct the audit." He criticized, "The NEC is an organization where cancer cells have already spread throughout the body. In fact, the entire organization needs major surgery. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission can investigate with the NEC's cooperation but lacks compulsory investigation authority, and the police only investigate cases that have been reported or accused; other cases are treated as separate investigations, so a full investigation is not possible."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has announced plans to respond to the NEC's issues, such as recruitment irregularities, through a state audit but opposes the BAI audit. The core of their opposition is the belief that the PPP's current offensive is politically motivated to seize control of the NEC. A Democratic Party official said that day, "The actual leader of the NEC is the Secretary-General," adding, "It seems the PPP's ultimate goal is to appoint a Secretary-General who suits their tastes."

In fact, a statement from the Democratic Party's Administrative Safety Committee the previous day said, "They showed ambition to pressure the NEC Chairman to appoint the Secretary-General, the person responsible for overall election management, as a close aide of President Yoon Suk-yeol," and warned, "If a close aide of the President becomes the NEC Secretary-General, not only will next year's general election be affected, but the principles of fair election management, which our democracy has painstakingly built, will collapse at once."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The reason the NEC recruitment irregularities issue has shifted to the Secretary-General appointment appears to be due to the vast authority held by the NEC.

Yoon Chang-hyun, a PPP lawmaker, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "Between the ruling and opposition parties, there are banners. When we tried to attack with hypocrisy, double standards, and incompetence, they said to take down the banners because they reminded them of a specific party. But banners with words like 'Jusul,' 'Good Party,' and 'Shincheonji' put up by the Democratic Party are considered acceptable. Is that fairness?" He criticized, "Why don't they apply the same standards? They apply harsher standards to us and softer ones to the Democratic Party. I have felt this way for the past five years." Kim also claimed at the meeting the day before, "The NEC has many cases of biased interpretations favoring the Democratic Party during major elections." The NEC, which should manage elections fairly, has been leaning toward the Democratic Party, and this needs to be corrected. The strong offensive against the NEC is rooted in longstanding dissatisfaction with the commission.

Why Is the NEC Secretary-General So Important?

The Secretary-General is receiving attention due to the NEC's unique organizational characteristics. Although the NEC commissioners are appointed by the President, three by the National Assembly, and three by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the actual operation of the NEC is led by the Central Standing Committee members and the Secretary-General. Previously, regarding the Standing Commissioners, during last year's regime change, after controversy between old and new power figures, then-President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol agreed on Kim Pil-gon as a compromise candidate. However, the Secretary-General, a minister-level position, has not been affected by regime change due to a 34-year-old internal promotion policy.

The issue of the NEC undergoing a BAI audit is unlikely to be resolved easily. On the 2nd, regarding recruitment irregularities, the NEC announced, on behalf of all commissioners, that while it would accept investigations by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and police investigations, it would be difficult to accept a BAI audit.

In the National Assembly, there is legislative confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over whether the NEC is subject to audit. According to the National Assembly's bill information system, PPP lawmaker Jeon Ju-hye proposed a law in June last year to include the NEC as a subject of BAI audits, while Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Hyung-seok (July last year) and Cho Eung-cheon (August last year) each proposed bills to exclude the NEC from BAI audit targets. Regarding this, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ju-min explained on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "there is a legal interpretation issue." It is seen as a kind of legal gap.