"Members of the National Assembly, can you not hear the calls for 'reruns of fraudulent elections and manual counting of same-day ballots' that have been echoing at Olympic Park for nearly two months?" ⒸHanmi Ilbo

I am appalled by the special prosecutor bill announced yesterday as a bipartisan agreement. The bill states that a third party will nominate six candidates, from which the ruling and opposition parties will agree on two, and the President will then make the appointment. 

It also appears that the scope of the special investigation is being narrowed to focus solely on the ballot shortage incident. If this happens, a figure aligned with the ruling party will likely lead the investigation, and the hope of uncovering election fraud will be lost.

There are two primary reasons why the special prosecutor for the National Election Commission (NEC) investigation, sparked by the ballot shortage, must be appointed by the opposition party.

First, this investigation must thoroughly delve into the opaque incidents that have occurred throughout recent election processes, as many citizens believe that individuals associated with the ruling party were involved in these matters.

The "five enemies of fraudulent elections"—Yun Ho-jung, Cho Hae-ju, Ko Han-seok, Yang Jung-chul, and Lee Hae-chan—publicly exposed by VON representative Kim Mi-young last February, are all members of the ruling bloc. Despite this, the individuals involved have maintained complete silence. In particular, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, Yun Ho-jung, who is responsible for election oversight, should naturally take legal action to clear his name if it is indeed a "false charge." Why is he unable to say a word?

Second, looking at the recent election processes, it is the current ruling party that has benefited from the inexplicable gaps between early voting and in-person voting results. Even in these local elections, experts and professors analyzing the results have claimed that the outcomes in 8 gubernatorial races and 6 education superintendent races were reversed—all in regions where the ruling party candidates won. For this reason, the opposition party must be the one to recommend the special prosecutor.

What is the ruling party so afraid of?

Most previous special investigations into allegations involving the government or the ruling party have followed a practice where the opposition party recommends candidates for the President to appoint, even if no specific legal provision mandates it, to ensure neutrality.

Furthermore, this investigation must examine the overall voting and counting process of the NEC, including the operation of main and sub-servers, log records, the transportation process of early voting ballots via the postal service, and the storage conditions of early voting ballot boxes.

If the investigation is limited only to the ballot shortage, how can we possibly uncover the truth behind the opaque voting and counting processes of an NEC that the public no longer trusts?

If we miss this heaven-sent opportunity provided by the ballot shortage incident, I believe democracy in this country is at an end. If such a critical investigation is conducted under the pretext of a "bipartisan agreement," the transparent election system that the people so desperately desire will never be established.

If the special investigation proceeds as agreed upon by the ruling and opposition parties, it will clearly serve as nothing more than a way to absolve the NEC of its faults, and the public will never accept it.

Members of the National Assembly, are you really telling us that you cannot hear the cries for "reruns of fraudulent elections and manual counting of same-day ballots" echoing from Olympic Park for nearly two months now?

If those who call themselves the representatives of the people pretend not to hear the voices of the people, whom are they expected to trust?

When it comes to the demand for a transparent voting and counting system, there is no ruling or opposition party, nor is there a left or right.

If an opposition-led special investigation is not conducted to examine the entire election process of the NEC, it is certain that elections will become merely a formal procedure where the winners are decided by the NEC. Do our honorable members of the National Assembly really not know that the majority of the public now believes this is already the case?

I feel pity for the young people who are fighting with the singular aspiration of creating an election system that all citizens can accept without doubt, regardless of victory or defeat.

How will the self-proclaimed leaders, who cannot even resolve such a simple issue, or the older generation for that matter, ever be able to face the youth of the next generation?

I pray with folded hands that we do not let this opportunity slip away.

I hold on today, sustained by the single belief that God will never abandon this country.

For the sake of the young people at 'Olympic Park' who continue their struggle even in heavy rain, I am going to set everything else aside today and head to the site.

◆ Dr. Kim Jae-soo

Ph.D. in Information Science, current Chairman of the National Foundation Light. Previously served as Head of the Agency for Defense Development, Adjunct Professor at Kyonggi University, Co-Chairman of the National Movement Headquarters for the Abolition of Privileges, and the 5th and 6th Chairman of the Republic of Korea ROTC Patriotic Comrades Association.