Former National Election Commission Chairperson Roh Tae-ak and Acting Chairperson Wi Cheol-hwan, along with other National Election Commission officials, answered only "I don't remember" and "I don't know" at a full meeting of the "special committee on the vote paper shortage incident parliamentary inquiry" held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. The session was meant to determine who was responsible for the vote paper shortage, but no clear answer emerged.
The National Assembly held the second meeting of the special committee on the vote paper shortage parliamentary inquiry that day and continued with main questioning. Yang Bu-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea asked, "At the Dec. 24 meeting, were you briefed on the 50% reduced printing of the ballot papers? Did you know about it before the vote?" In response, National Election Commission Commissioner Park Sun-young said, "I knew, but I don't remember whether it was before or after the election."
Democratic Party lawmaker Yun Geon-young pressed the point that former Chairperson Roh Tae-ak's recognition had changed. Yun said, "Chairperson Roh Tae-ak's memory seems selective," adding, "At one point you said you had never been briefed, then at another you said it was less than a page so you don't remember well. Do you now remember what you were briefed on at the meeting at the time?" Roh answered, "To be honest, I still don't remember."
Yun also asked former Secretary-General Hur Chul-hoon, "At the time, were you ever briefed that the Seoul Metropolitan Government was arbitrarily extending voting hours?" Hur said, "I was not briefed." Yun responded, "I think this is cutting off the tail," adding, "Seoul reported to the National Election Commission, and Seoul has no authority whatsoever to extend voting hours."
Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party raised the issue of the National Election Commission's private contracts. When Joo asked, "About how many private contracts does the National Election Commission conclude annually?" former Chairperson Roh answered, "I am in fact not involved at all in private contracting."
Election commission officials largely failed to appear for the morning questioning, sparking controversy. Seven of the nine National Election Commission commissioners did not attend. Oh Min-seok, former chairperson of the Seoul City Election Commission (chief judge of the Seoul Central District Court), and Min So-young, former chairperson of the Songpa District Election Commission (senior presiding judge of the Seoul Eastern District Court), who were in charge of key areas in the vote paper shortage incident, were also absent. These election commission officials appeared only in the afternoon after strong protests from both ruling and opposition parties.