The National Election Commission is set to face a National Assembly probe and a joint investigation by prosecutors and police over the "ballot paper shortage" during the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections. The commission had been embroiled in controversies over "hiring irregularities," "avoiding external audits," and the "basket voting" incident, but critics said no fundamental fix was made. With the "ballot paper shortage" finally erupting, legislation is also being pushed alongside the parliamentary probe and law enforcement investigations to introduce "external audits" and prevent a surge in "pre-election leaves of absence."
◇ Preferential hiring of relatives that violated rules 878 times over 10 years... election commission: "We are a family company"
The election commission's hiring scandal came to light in May 2023 through media reports. It said the secretary general and the deputy secretary general's children received preferential treatment during experienced-hire recruiting.
The Board of Audit and Inspection released its findings on the audit in Feb. 2025. A full review of 291 experienced-hire recruitments conducted by the election commission since 2023 found 878 violations of rules. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, Secretary General A improperly exercised influence in 2019 when the son was hired at grade 8, and Deputy Secretary General B asked an election commission official to recommend a daughter who worked at a local government for an experienced-hire post at the commission.
The Board of Audit and Inspection audit found numerous cases in the preferential hiring process, including designating children of election commission officials without posting job announcements, forming test panels with friendly internal staff, and tampering with interview scores.
The Board of Audit and Inspection audit also revealed that, during the preferential hiring process, commission officials said, "We are a family company," and, "In the past, when the election commission conducted experienced-hire recruitment, there was a tradition of hiring relatives to choose trustworthy people."
◇ Election commission responded to hiring audit with a power dispute... Constitutional Court: "We cannot recognize the commission as a sanctuary"
When the Board of Audit and Inspection began an audit in 2023 over the hiring irregularities, the election commission filed a power-dispute petition with the Constitutional Court. The claim was that "the election commission is defined by the Constitution as an independent constitutional body, and having the Board of Audit and Inspection conduct an audit goes against the constitutional spirit."
The Constitutional Court sided with the commission. In Feb. 2025, it ruled that "if the Board of Audit and Inspection, an agency under the president, is allowed to conduct job inspections of the election commission, there is a risk that public trust in the fairness and neutrality of election management will be damaged." It effectively found that the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit infringed on the election commission's authority.
However, the court also held that there must be strict internal and external controls over the commission. First, it said, "Excluding the Board of Audit and Inspection's job inspections must not be distorted as recognizing a sanctuary for corrupt acts." It added, "The Constitution's choice not to allow the Board of Audit and Inspection's job inspections of independent constitutional bodies presupposes the establishment of an internal inspection body with independence and expertise that can serve in its place."
The court further said, "Even if the election commission is not included among the targets of the Board of Audit and Inspection's job inspections, that does not exclude external controls by the National Assembly through parliamentary investigations and inspections of state affairs, or by investigative agencies."
◇ 2022 presidential election "basket voting," surge in leaves before elections... the "ballot paper shortage" finally erupted
The Constitution defines "fair management of elections" as the commission's core duty. Because elections are the starting point of democracy, the commission is set up as an independent constitutional body and given powerful authority and responsibility.
Still, questions have repeatedly arisen about the commission's fair election management. During the 2022 presidential election, it sparked the "basket voting" controversy by carrying early voting ballots for COVID-confirmed and quarantined voters in baskets. In 2023, a joint security check by agencies including the National Intelligence Service (NIS) also revealed that the commission had been hit multiple times by cyberattacks from North Korean hacking groups. The same year, the issue of preferential hiring for relatives also flared.
The commission has also seen a recurring rise in employees taking leaves of absence ahead of the so-called "three major elections," namely the presidential, parliamentary, and local elections. This year as of Apr. 1, the number of employees on leave at the commission was tallied at 176, the second highest in the past 10 years.