Han Byung-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said Monday that the party would "immediately convene a plenary session this week to report a state investigation plan" regarding the shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections. He urged the People Power Party not to use the incident as material for political strife and to cooperate with the state investigation.
"The Democratic Party submitted a request yesterday for a state investigation to uncover the truth behind the ballot paper shortage and to reform the election management system," Han said at a floor leadership meeting at the National Assembly. "The National Assembly will conduct the state investigation as swiftly as possible."
"This incident is a disaster that fatally undermined both South Korea's democracy and citizens' right to political participation," Han said. "The National Election Commission collapsed its weighty constitutional responsibility of election management and execution in an instant. This is by no means something that can be dismissed as a simple administrative error or mistake."
He continued, "The Democratic Party will immediately convene a plenary session this week to report the state investigation plan, and will pass it at the plenary session next week to launch a special state investigation committee in the shortest possible time." He added, "We will also begin revising the Public Official Election Act and the Election Commission Act, and will promptly establish a separate task force (TF) for electoral system reform."
Han warned the People Power Party not to use the state investigation as a means of political strife. "What a public party should do is thoroughly uncover the truth, punish those responsible, and prepare measures to prevent recurrence," he said. "Yet the People Power Party is turning this incident into political fodder, fomenting public confusion and division."
In particular, regarding the People Power Party's argument that the Blue House should be included in the scope of the state investigation, Han said, "I want to ask whether they want to solve the fundamental problem or use it as material for political gain." He added, "They are pushing the substantive investigation to the back burner and putting only provocative words and actions at the forefront." He urged, "They must stop irresponsible incitement politics and come forward to agree on conducting the state investigation."
The Democratic Party also plans to expedite the reorganization of the latter-half National Assembly as much as possible. "The 20th National Assembly took 48 days to reorganize for its latter half, and the 21st National Assembly took 54 days," Han said. "The people gave the National Assembly the authority to work, not the authority to play around."
He continued, "The People Power Party should also immediately enter reorganization negotiations right after electing its new floor leader," and stressed, "Reorganization must be completed by the 18th at the latest to fully activate the standing committees."
Han said, "With instability in the Middle East, supply chain crises, and high prices and exchange rates, the livelihood economy situation is grave." He added, "There is no room to waste time on wasteful political strife and turf battles. The ruling and opposition parties must show a National Assembly that works together."
