The Democratic Party of Korea task force (TF) on election system reform drew a line on the June 3 local elections ballot paper shortage, saying it was poor management, not election fraud, and warned against the spread of conspiracy theories. Academia said realistic institutional improvements are needed as a solution to this situation rather than a constitutional amendment. These were views presented at a forum hosted by the Democratic Party of Korea election system reform TF at the National Assembly on the 17th.
The TF held a forum at the National Assembly that day and made clear that this situation is a problem of poor management, not "election fraud." Han Byeong-do, Democratic Party of Korea floor leader, said, "A failure of management and manipulation of results are entirely different in nature," and noted, "If you confuse the two, you can miss the essence and fall into conspiracy theories."
Han then said, "While the National Assembly seeks solutions for institutional improvement, the People Power Party is shopping at the department store of by‑election petitions and conspiracy theories," adding, "Claims with no basis, such as twin votes and alleged presidential involvement, are being raised, but they do not help solve the problem."
TF Director General Song Ki-heon also said, "Taking advantage of the shaken trust in the election management system, fake news and wasteful controversies are spreading," and stressed, "We must overhaul the faulty system and fundamentally redesign the institutions."
Academic experts at the forum leaned toward realistic institutional improvements rather than a constitutional amendment for National Election Commission reform. Jeong Tae-ho, emeritus professor at the Kyunghee University Law School, who served as lead presenter, said, "The independence of the National Election Commission must not be undermined," and added, "We should seek reform directions within the scope of respecting the spirit of the Constitution." He went on to explain, "Granting constitutional status to the election management body stems from historical reflection on the March 15 rigged election."
As a way to strengthen accountability, Professor Jeong proposed establishing an independent election management evaluation committee. He said, "After elections, problems are repeatedly pointed out, but systematic evaluation and feedback are lacking," and added, "Through an evaluation committee centered on outside experts, fair reviews and improvements should be made." He also proposed making the evaluation results public to the National Assembly and the public, and requiring the National Election Commission to submit an improvement plan.
He also stressed the need to expand information disclosure and explanatory obligations. Professor Jeong said, "The more independent an institution is, the more important its responsibility to explain to the public becomes," and noted, "Trust is built not on secrecy but on transparency." He added, "When a major election incident occurs, prompt explanations and the announcement of countermeasures are necessary."
He further proposed institutionalizing regular reports and hearing procedures to the National Assembly. Professor Jeong said, "We can consider requiring the preparation of an 'election management white paper'—including results after the election, cases of infringements on suffrage, the status of computer system operations, and improvement plans—and its submission to the National Assembly."