Jang Youngsoo of Korea University Appointed as Committee Chair
Organizational Reform Plans to Undergo Three-Month Public Review
The National Election Commission will launch a special committee on September 1 to restore public trust. The committee will serve as a verification body for allegations related to hiring irregularities and election procedures.
In a press release issued on the same day, the commission announced, "The 'Special Committee for Restoring Public Trust' will operate for approximately three months starting in September to provide external diagnosis and verification of major policies."
The special committee is divided into two subcommittees: Human Resources & Audit and Election Procedures. It consists of a total of 12 members, including 10 external experts and 2 internal members, selected for their expertise in each field. The committee will be chaired by Jang Youngsoo, a professor at Korea University School of Law.
The committee plans to review whether the National Election Commission's organizational reform proposals-such as those regarding human resources and audit-and the election procedure improvement measures currently under consideration following the 21st presidential election are appropriate and meet public expectations.
Specifically, in the area of human resources and audit, the committee will verify: ▲ separation of the audit body from the secretariat ▲ appointment of open recruitment auditors ▲ establishment and operation of an independent audit committee composed of external members ▲ measures to strengthen external oversight through the National Assembly and other bodies ▲ abolition of career-based recruitment for local government officials ▲ 100% external appointment of interview panel members ▲ and introduction of a system for recusal of examination committee members.
In terms of election procedures, the committee will examine measures being considered to prevent incidents and accidents related to the recent presidential and parliamentary elections, including: ▲ methods for securing and training election staff for voting and ballot counting ▲ ways to enhance the accuracy of voter identification at polling stations ▲ improvements in ballot box production ▲ and guidelines for handling return envelopes.
A National Election Commission official stated, "The commission will actively reflect the results of this verification in future work related to human resources, audit, and election management." The official added, "We hope that the major policies we are pursuing or reviewing for organizational innovation will gain public acceptance and effectiveness through these activities." The official continued, "Through continuous self-reform efforts for organizational innovation and improvements to election procedures to ensure fairness, we will take another step toward regaining public trust."
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