Morse Tan, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice (during the first Trump administration), speaks at a seminar titled "The Crisis of South Korea's Liberal Democracy and Rule of Law, and the Path for the ROK-U.S. Freedom Alliance," held at the National Assembly Member's Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 6th. March 6, 2025.  

Table of Contents

1. The Shadows of Elections Targeted by Trump’s 'OBBBA Bill'

2. Why Has Election Fraud Gone Unpunished?

3. ‘Unmonitored Technology’ is an Enemy of Democracy

4. Whose Responsibility is Election Oversight?

5. Republic of Korea, Redesign Your Election System

Structural Reform Proposed by OBBBA: "What Shall We Change?"

… "Republic of Korea, Redesign Your Election System"

Following the enactment of the OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) in the United States in July 2025, the debate surrounding election systems has expanded beyond mere technical or procedural issues into matters of trust and structure. Through the OBBBA, President Trump sought to implement "election reliability guaranteed by law," predicated on the premise that "technology can fail, but people can provide oversight."

How does South Korea stand today?

Throughout the 2022 and 2024 elections, issues regarding electronic counting machine errors, opaque transport routes for ballots, and allegations of tampering with early voting have been consistently raised. However, the institutional mechanisms for verifying these claims have been inadequate, with most cases dismissed by the National Election Commission’s own assertions that "there are no problems."

It is time to change the question. We must stop asking, "Were there problems?" and start asking, "How can we prove that there are no problems?"

Shifting the Focus from 'Machines' to 'Citizens'

The essence of the structural reform proposed by the OBBBA is not the fine-tuning of technology, but the institutionalization of citizen oversight. In Korea, while electronic counting machines and early voting systems remain central to the election process, the practical mechanisms to monitor and verify them are highly restricted.

The algorithms for electronic counting machines are not public, and it is difficult for observers to verify the storage and transport routes of early ballots. CCTV footage at counting stations is deleted after a set period, and the participation of private oversight groups is not institutionally guaranteed.

Through the OBBBA, the U.S. has attempted a transition to a "system that can be monitored by people." South Korea remains stuck in a "system handled by machines." In a democracy, oversight is not a privilege but a right of the sovereign citizens; without institutionalizing this, elections lose their credibility.

What and How to Change… The Task of Institutional Design

• Comprehensive Review of Electronic Counting Machines: Disclosure of algorithms, participation of private oversight groups, and a full review that includes the integration of hand counting.

• Reform of Early Voting Storage and Transport Structures: Establishment of systems for vehicle tracking during transport and real-time verification of seal integrity.

• Clarification of Observer Rights: Granting practical monitoring authority within polling and counting stations, and specifying penalties for obstruction.

• Institutionalization of Private Oversight: Official registration and formal recognition of the observer activities of civic groups and non-profits.

• Introduction of an Independent Investigative Body for Election Crimes: Structural reform to ensure election offenses are handled by an independent agency rather than the National Election Commission.

Law Must Follow Reality… Structural Reform, Not Politics

South Korea has treated elections merely as 'political events.' However, the OBBBA has reframed elections as a 'matter of institutional design.' The core is structural reform that asks not who wins, but who is watching and who can provide proof.

South Korea must now ask these questions and enact change. What could we not monitor, and why? And what must we design, and how, to create an election system that the next generation can trust?

will continue to record, observe, and report to drive change while facing these questions.

 #OBBBA #ElectionReform #StructuralReform #VotingTrust #ElectronicCountingMachine #PrivateOversight #ROKElection #KoreaUSDaily #ElectionMonitoring #SovereignOversight