Yoon Sang-hyun, Chairman of the National Assembly's Special Committee on the June 3 Local Election Ballot Shortage, gavels during an on-site investigation and plenary meeting held at the National Election Commission (NEC) in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 7th. [Yonhap News] 

As the National Assembly's Special Committee on the June 3 Local Election Ballot Shortage conducted on-site investigations at the National Election Commission (NEC) and the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission on the 7th, Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party sharply criticized the acting NEC chairman, Wi Chul-hwan, stating, "You should resign instead of wasting time writing documents like this (regarding internal response plans)." 

This was in response to the NEC having drafted documents concerning a potential mass resignation of all election commissioners. 

Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the same party also criticized the acting chairman, noting, "Acting Chairman Wi is a former president of the Korean Bar Association, and there has been discussion about the association holding the right to recommend a special prosecutor. There are concerns about whether an objective investigation can be conducted." 

He further pointed out, "The NEC situation room should have been the most agile unit on June 3, yet the situation was not reported to the acting chairman until after voting had already concluded."

The People Power Party lambasted the NEC for the situation room’s failure to respond appropriately immediately following the ballot shortage and for chronic professional negligence. 

Prior to this, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in a war of words early in the investigation over the issue of calling state council members, including the Minister of National Defense and the Minister of the Interior and Safety, as witnesses.

Rep. Seo Bum-soo, the People Power Party's ranking member, criticized the situation, stating, "The Democratic Party is focusing solely on the NEC while maintaining a 'hands-off' stance regarding other election support departments and the Blue House."

Members of the Special Committee on the National Investigation and acting NEC chairman Wi Chul-hwan move toward the computer room for an on-site investigation at the NEC in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 7th. [Joint Press Corps] 

During an on-site investigation at the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission in Jongno-gu later that afternoon, members of both parties focused their criticism on loopholes in the reporting and management systems.

When Rep. Joo Jin-woo pressed him, asking, "Is there no reporting manual for emergency situations such as disturbances at polling stations or fires?", Kim Bum-jin, Secretary General of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, confessed, "It is embarrassing to admit, but in the case of Songpa-gu, distrust toward our committee was high, which led to difficulties in maintaining communication with the ballot management officials at each polling station." 

Rep. Shin Dong-wook of the People Power Party rebuked the committee, stating, "The practical control tower for this incident is the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission. It is as if they were told, 'We are running out of bullets,' on a battlefield and responded with, 'Report it only after you run out.' Even ordinary citizens anticipated that voter turnout would be high in Songpa and Gangnam districts."