Regarding the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections, the National Election Commission (NEC)’s internal Truth and Reconciliation Committee concluded its ten-day investigation on June 19 and proposed the following in its final briefing:

First, it proposed the introduction of a full-time position for the Chairperson of the National Election Commission. Second, it suggested including the NEC within the scope of the Board of Audit and Inspection's official duties. Third, it called for the establishment of public discourse regarding the viability of the early voting system and the errors in ballot counting, as well as measures to prevent recurrence.

Additionally, it recommended requesting investigations into several high-ranking NEC officials, including former Chairperson Noh Tae-ak and Acting Chairperson Wi Chul-hwan.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Investigation began its operations on June 23. On July 2, the committee visited the ballot counting station at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium to conduct an on-site inspection.

The Special Committee has been investigating numerous instances of corruption and moral failure, including: △the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections; △the widespread practice of private contracts; △the issues of staff taking overseas "training" trips just before elections or large numbers of staff taking leave during election periods; △former Chairperson Noh Tae-ak’s overseas business trips accompanied by his spouse; △the misuse of NEC budgets for personal purposes and the abuse of corporate cards; and △the hereditary recruitment of high-ranking officials' children and the hiring of relatives. The findings so far are more than enough to justify the appointment of a special prosecutor.

Even if the internal truth investigation committee had its limitations, the National Assembly’s special committee has already conducted an on-site check. It is time to open the ballot boxes through a special prosecutor. Why are the courts, the National Assembly, and the NEC merely shifting responsibility onto one another and avoiding facing the core evidence?

Given that many facts—such as ballots appearing as crisp as stacks of cash, errors in data entry, and the destruction of evidence at the scene—are already known, a public verification of the ballot boxes currently stored at the Handball Gymnasium, conducted by representatives of political parties, citizens, and youth in the presence of the NEC, would certainly reveal what led to the panic and misconduct.

I believe the comprehensive incompetence, hiring irregularities, moral issues, and budget mismanagement of the NEC have already been uncovered to a significant extent. Despite this, Acting Chairperson Wi Chul-hwan continues to claim in public that they lack budget and personnel. This is an incredibly shameless organization.

A 12-week seminar series on "Anatomy of Election Fraud" was held. On June 25, the final day, two professors who led the presentations announced that the outcomes of the June 3 local elections were reversed in 8 regions for mayoral/gubernatorial races and in 6 regions for education superintendent races. Both professors are renowned experts who have authored books proving the reality of election fraud through statistical mathematics and the Law of Large Numbers.

The five figures accused of election fraud by VON representative Kim Mi-young last February—Yoon Ho-jung, Cho Hae-ju, Ko Han-seok, Yang Jung-chul, and Lee Hae-chan—have all remained silent. In particular, why does Yoon Ho-jung, who is the Minister of the Interior and Safety and currently oversees elections, choose to remain unresponsive despite carrying the stigma(?) of being the mastermind behind the fraudulent election?

They are not only a shameless group that turns a blind eye to moral degradation, mismanagement, and budget misappropriation; they also know full well that if their fraudulent activities during the counting process are exposed, they will face severe legal consequences. Therefore, it is clear they will persist to the very end, feeling they have nothing left to lose.

If we miss this opportunity, this country will forever remain under the permanent rule of a specific faction as ordained by the NEC. Those who refuse public verification are the culprits.

Unless the strategy is to wait until the young people who have been guarding the ballot boxes for over a month since the June 3 election grow exhausted, wouldn't a simple public verification end this immediately? What kind of evidence remains inside the counting station that prevents them from allowing public verification? Are they unable to, or are they unwilling? Without public verification, this crisis will not end.

We must dig to the bottom and uncover the truth. Let us view this as our last chance and join together at the site to demand public verification.

My heart breaks when I think of the young people who are still staying at Olympic Park in the sweltering heat, guarding the ballot boxes because they believe they must build a fair world through transparent elections for their future.

◆ Dr. Kim Jae-soo

Ph.D. in Information Science. Former Director at the Agency for Defense Development. Former Adjunct Professor at Kyonggi University. 5th and 6th President of the Republic of Korea ROTC Patriotic Comrades Association. Currently Chairman of the National Foundation Light.