Democratic Party Names Song Ki-heon to Lead Electoral Reform Task Force

The Democratic Party has established an electoral system reform task force in response to the ballot paper shortage at the National Election Commission, naming Representative Song Ki-heon as its head.

Lee Joo-hee, the party's floor spokesperson, announced this after a floor leadership meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning. The task force members include Representatives Kim Young-bae, Park Sang-hyuk, Lee Hae-sik, Park Kyun-taek, Park Hee-seung, Lee Jung-heon, Lee Joo-hee and Lim Mi-ae. The first meeting will be held the following day at 11 a.m. on the 10th.

Regarding People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's remarks on pursuing a special counsel investigation, Lee said, "(We have) discussed not only the special counsel but also a constitutional amendment." She added, "The Democratic Party's exact position is that we will do everything possible in the National Assembly to achieve a sweeping organizational overhaul on a scale comparable to dismantling the organization, through the fastest and most certain methods."

She further explained, "This is not something that can be discussed in terms of whether the special counsel or the parliamentary investigation comes first; the most urgent thing the National Assembly can do is a parliamentary investigation." She continued, "We will consult with the opposition party for that. Beyond that, this is part of keeping our promise to swiftly form an electoral system reform task force at the party level."

Meanwhile, Democratic Party Representative Jung Jin-wook held a press conference and argued that a "one-point constitutional amendment" aimed at reforming the election commission is necessary. "A constitutionally independent institution that has lost the people's trust has already lost its reason to exist," Jung said. "Simply revising the Election Commission Act clearly has its limits."

He proposed a constitutional amendment that would include the Board of Audit and Inspection's authority to conduct disciplinary inspections of the election commission, the introduction of a full-time system for the chairman of the National Election Commission and the chairs of election commissions at all levels, and a shortening of the terms of National Election Commission members.