People Power Party (PPP) officials at the Goyang-C constituency office filed an objection and shaved their heads en masse after the National Election Commission (NEC) refused to accept their submission of 256 vote-monitor registration forms. They argue that an electronic system error made online submission impossible, and that their written submission was rejected on the grounds that office hours had ended. As a result, 256 vote-monitoring slots for seven PPP candidates are at risk of being stripped all at once.
According to the PPP's Goyang-C constituency office on the 2nd, the head of the party's Goyang-C liaison office attempted on the 1st to enter into the NEC's electronic system a list of 256 vote monitors for seven candidates, including Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate Yang Hyang-ja and Goyang mayoral candidate Lee Dong-hwan.
However, the system was designed to block entry of the entire list if even a single duplicate—such as someone affiliated with another party—was detected. After consulting with the NEC by phone, the Goyang-C office switched to written submission and visited in person, but the filing was rejected outright on the grounds that it arrived 39 minutes past the 6 p.m. deadline.
The PPP argued that "submission and acceptance are clearly different concepts," adding that "Article 17 of the Administrative Procedures Act explicitly states that a submission cannot be withheld or rejected." The party also countered that "Article 161, Paragraph 2 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates written filing as the principle, so requiring electronic entry alone is itself unlawful."
The party particularly emphasized that "the cause of the filing delay lies in defects in the NEC's electronic system," and that "shifting the disadvantage stemming from its own fault onto the applicant violates the principle of good faith under administrative law."
After shaving his head, Jeong Mun-sik, chairman of the Goyang-C constituency committee, said, "Due to the NEC's refusal to accept the filing, 256 vote monitors for PPP candidates have been excluded all at once, just one day before the election," adding, "Only monitors recommended by the Democratic Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Reform Party, and independent candidates will be allowed to participate." He further pointed out that "if hundreds of monitoring rights are revoked due to clumsy administration, this is not a problem for a single party but an infringement on voters' right to oversee the election."
In its objection, the PPP demanded: immediate acceptance of all 256 filings; written notice of the legal basis if rejected; a report to the Gyeonggi Provincial Election Commission; and measures to prevent recurrence of the system error. The party said it would also pursue state compensation claims and disciplinary action against the officials involved if the submission continues to be refused.
The NEC said it plans to review the PPP's objection and handle the matter in accordance with relevant laws and procedures.
The vote-monitor system, meanwhile, is a key safeguard ensuring fairness in the ballot-counting process, allowing parties and candidates to station monitors at polling stations to oversee election procedures.
