The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 6th that it opened the "Fair Election Support Situation Room" to support the 9th nationwide local elections to be held on June 3.
At the opening ceremony held that morning, officials from the National Election Commission, the Korean National Police Agency, local governments, and private organizations attended.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) livestreamed the entire event on its YouTube channel so the public could watch the opening ceremony in real time. Through this, it plans to inform the public about the election process, the roles of election-related agencies, and the government's commitment to fair elections.
The situation room supports statutory election tasks such as the preparation of voter rolls by local governments and handles coordination with related agencies, including the National Election Commission and the Korean National Police Agency.
Starting immediately after its launch that day, it will identify the status of statutory election tasks by the National Election Commission and local governments according to the election schedule, conduct on-site inspections, and support facilities, personnel, and equipment. It will also monitor major election trends and the status of incidents and accidents and coordinate responses with related agencies.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) also decided to strengthen inspections by organizing joint inspection teams with provincial and metropolitan governments to ensure that local government officials comply with their obligation of political neutrality during elections. On the MOIS website, it will establish and operate an "anonymous reporting channel for public office election-related corruption." If a report is confirmed to involve election interference by a local government official, it will take stern action.
In particular, it plans to focus inspections on illegal and improper acts such as supporting or slandering specific parties or candidates via social media (SNS), arranging various gatherings, and leaking internal materials.
Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), said, "Local elections are about choosing those who will be responsible for policies and administration directly connected to the lives of local residents, so fairness, neutrality, and transparency are more important than anything else," adding, "We will work closely among related agencies to respond swiftly to the spread of false information such as fake news."