Acting President Lee: "Government Will Do Its Utmost Until Vote Counting Is Complete to Achieve National Unity in Presidential Election"

Presiding Over the Fair Election Ministers' Meeting

Lee Juho Acting Minister, Remarks at the 2nd Coordinated Election Related Ministers' Meeting Yonhap News Agency

On May 26, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Minister of Education, Lee Juho stated, "There must not be even the slightest suspicion throughout the entire election process in order to earn the trust of the people," and added, "Until the moment the vote counting for the 21st presidential election is completed, the government will do its utmost to ensure that this election leads to national unity."

At the 2nd Coordinated Election Related Ministers' Meeting, which he presided over that afternoon at the Government Complex Seoul, Acting President Lee said, "Only when public trust is secured in the election process can our society take a step toward resolving conflicts and achieving national unity," reiterating his commitment.

This meeting was held to review all government support tasks related to the election, and was attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Personnel Management, and the National Police Agency.

Acting President Lee stated, "The National Election Commission, which oversees the election, is making every effort to dispel suspicions about the voting process," and added, "For any suspicions raised, we are providing detailed explanations that they are unfounded through demonstrations of the voting and counting procedures, as well as through the media, the official website, and YouTube."

He also mentioned, "The 24-hour public access to advance ballot box CCTV and the ballot paper inspection system, which were introduced in last year's National Assembly election, will continue to be implemented," and emphasized, "In particular, starting from this election, we are forming a Fair Election Observers Group with recommendations from various sectors of society, and are transparently disclosing the entire election process, from candidate registration to ballot box transportation and vote counting."

The government will respond strictly to acts of violence against candidates or election officials and to repeated damage to banners or posters, applying the principle of 'arrest and investigation,' while also conducting proactive prevention activities.

Acting President Lee added, "We plan to disclose the number of voters at each advance polling station on an hourly basis so that anyone can closely monitor the status of advance voting," and "Starting from this election, the Korea Coast Guard will begin escorting between islands and the mainland, further enhancing the safety of ballot box transportation."