The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to conduct a 45-day parliamentary investigation to determine the cause of the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. The People Power Party (PPP), now in opposition, will chair the special investigation committee, which was a key point of contention. The scope of the investigation will be limited to the National Election Commission, though the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and other bodies will be included among those subject to witness designation.
Cheon Jun-ho, deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Seung-soo, deputy floor leader for operations of the People Power Party, met at the National Assembly on Monday and agreed to pass the investigation plan, which contains these details, at the plenary session on June 18.
The official name of the investigation was confirmed as "A Parliamentary Investigation Into the Truth Behind Infringements of the People's Suffrage Rights, Including the Ballot Shortage, and for Election Management Reform." The investigation period was initially set at 45 days, with the option to extend it through agreement between the parties should further investigation be needed.
The PPP will chair the special committee, an issue that had been a point of contention. The committee was confirmed to comprise a total of 18 members: nine from the Democratic Party, seven from the People Power Party, and two from non-negotiating groups.
Kim explained that "the chairmanship of the special investigation committee is the opposition's turn this time, which is why the People Power Party will take it." In response, Cheon corrected this, saying, "The investigation committee chairmanship and the allocation of seats between the parties are not a matter of custom but have been negotiated each time the committee is formed," adding, "This time, we allowed an equal allocation of seats between the parties after comprehensively considering various circumstances." The two seats for non-negotiating groups will be assigned at the final discretion of the National Assembly Speaker.
The institutions subject to investigation, another point of contention, were limited to the National Election Commission and regional election commissions at various levels. The People Power Party had earlier raised questions about the responsibility of the government and the Presidential Office and called for expanding the scope of the investigation, but the final agreement specified only the central commission and the various regional commissions. However, during the investigation, the designation of witnesses among not only election commission officials but also officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments will be pursued.
"We have decided to actively pursue the designation of witnesses, including the Interior Minister and related public officials, as well as officials from the cities, counties, and districts where the ballot shortage occurred," Kim said. "We have agreed to ensure that a thorough investigation can be carried out without limitation."
The parties also discussed the issue of reorganizing the National Assembly for the second half of its term on Monday but failed to reach a conclusion. On the reorganization negotiations, Cheon said, "Since there is still time tomorrow as well, we will continue consulting with the People Power Party floor leadership and do our best to ensure that the reorganization proceeds smoothly on June 18."
Meanwhile, an attempt by staff of sports organizations under the Korea Sports & Olympic Committee to enter the handball stadium at Olympic Park failed again on Monday.
Sports organization officials negotiated with protesters in the morning, requesting entry to remove items needed for their work, but the agreement was reversed due to opposition from some participants, leading to a prolonged standoff. Later, through the mediation of People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, who visited the site, a plan was arranged for two people from each organization to enter in sequence to retrieve items, but it was ultimately not carried out due to objections from some protesters.
The Sports Committee eventually decided to withdraw in the afternoon, and police repeatedly warned that charges of obstruction of business could apply, stating they would launch an investigation based on collected evidence. Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung also reaffirmed his policy of strict response on Monday, saying, "Acts that undermine law and order, such as private checkpoints or occupation of facilities, cannot be justified for any reason."
