On the 19th, Cho Hyun-wook, chairman of the 'Investigation Committee for the Ballot Paper Shortage Incident', briefs the final investigation results at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Yonhap News]

The fact-finding committee of the National Election Commission, which has been investigating the ballot paper shortage incident during the June 3 local elections, recommended on the 19th, the final day of the investigation, that an investigation be requested for the leadership of the Election Commission, including former National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak.

Cho Hyun-wook, chairman of the fact-finding committee, announced at a briefing held at the National Election Commission's Gwacheon Government Complex on the same day, "We recommend an investigation request based on the responsibility for the overall systemic deficiencies in the election management system."

The individuals recommended for investigation include former Chairman Noh, Standing Member Wi Cheol-hwan, former Secretary-General Huh Cheol-hoon, Deputy Secretary-General Kang Dong-wan, and former Director of Election Policy Yoon Jae-soo, totaling 12 people.

The list also includes the Chairman, Standing Member, Secretary-General, and Head of Elections of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, as well as the Chairman, Secretary-General, and Election Officer of the Songpa District Election Commission.

In addition, the fact-finding committee recommended disciplinary action for a total of six staff members from the National Election Commission, Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, and Songpa District Election Commission who were involved in the incident.

According to the fact-finding committee's investigation, 140 out of 14,288 polling stations nationwide received additional ballots on the 3rd due to anticipated shortages. Among these, 91 polling stations actually used the additional ballots, and 26 polling stations experienced temporary voting suspensions.

The fact-finding committee pointed out, "At the time of the ballot paper shortage incident, the rapid reporting system to higher committees was not functioning at all," and "the directive authority of higher committees was also not exercised at all."

It was also explained that the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission decided to extend voting hours without reporting or discussing it with the National Election Commission, and the Songpa District Election Commission began vote counting before voting had concluded.

The fact-finding committee stated that a "large-scale innovation close to the dissolution of the Election Commission is necessary" in relation to this incident and presented various preventive measures and proposals.

Specifically, it proposed: ▲ Increasing the ballot paper printing reduction ratio to over 70% ▲ Minimizing the use of unnumbered ballots ▲ Reducing the scope of final decision-making authority for the National Election Commission's secretariat ▲ Introducing a full-time position for the Chairman of the National Election Commission ▲ Revising manuals centered on on-site response procedures ▲ Establishing a real-time monitoring system for voter turnout by polling station ▲ Including the Election Commission within the scope of the Board of Audit and Inspection's oversight.

Furthermore, the fact-finding committee suggested, "It is necessary to derive measures for improving the election system regarding the existence of the early voting system, errors in the computerized input process of vote counting results, and adjustments to the timing of exit poll result announcements, and to prepare a public forum for national discussion to restore public trust."

Regarding the reason for not recommending a by-election, Chairman Cho explained, "The conditions for a by-election are stipulated in the Public Official Election Act, and the decision on whether to hold a by-election should be made after a court ruling through legal procedures such as election appeals. If there are issues, a by-election may be possible in some regions, so we deemed it reasonable to defer to a court's decision rather than make it ourselves."

When asked if there were any unverified aspects, he stated, "Although the period was short, I believe we thoroughly investigated the ballot paper shortage incident in line with the name of the 'Investigation Committee for the Ballot Paper Shortage Incident.' While other situations may be announced in the future investigations by the joint investigation headquarters of the prosecution and police and the parliamentary audit, I believe we have covered almost all aspects that needed to be clarified."