Yoon Sang-hyun Says Opposition-Nominated Counsel Better Serves Truth on Election Body

The People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday effectively expressed opposition to the "third-party nomination" proposal put forward by the Democratic Party of Korea for a special counsel investigation into the National Election Commission (NEC) over its ballot paper shortage.

Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the PPP, who chairs the National Assembly's special committee on the parliamentary investigation, met with reporters at the National Assembly that day. Asked what he thought of Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do's proposal for a special counsel nominated by a third party, Yoon said, "Wouldn't it be more helpful for the opposition to make the nomination, in order to get closer to the substantive truth of the ballot paper shortage?"

Yoon pointed out, "Even if we have a third-party (nominated) special counsel, isn't it the president who makes the appointment?" He added, "The state failed to take the necessary measures (in the situation that undermined voting rights). It cannot escape responsibility by claiming it delegated the matter to the NEC."

He continued, "Doesn't responsibility for the state include everyone from the president to the government? For a fair and impartial special counsel investigation, wouldn't it be far more consistent with the requirements of a fair and just truth for opposition-side figures to be included, in line with the provisions of Article 6 of the Public Official Election Act?"

He stressed, "Only with a special counsel can we put the entire NEC on the operating table — including structural problems, budget waste, private contract issues, personnel administration problems, and hiring corruption."