EXPLAINER Why Korea's election watchdog became untouchable — and what must change

Police officers stand guard outside the National Election Commission headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, amid public backlash over ballot shortages that disrupted voting during the June 3 local elections. Yonhap

The National Election Commission (NEC) has found its credibility tarnished following the June 3 local elections, with ballot shortages exposing how its constitutional independence, designed to prevent political interference, fostered weak accountability and administrative complacency.

The election watchdog underestimated voter turnout at dozens of polling stations where ballot papers ran out, disrupting voting and sparking protests that underscored eroding public confidence in election management.

The incident added to a series of controversies surrounding the commission, including the 2022 presidential election when some voters were instructed to place completed ballots in plastic baskets instead of directly into ballot boxes, and allegations of preferential hiring involving NEC officials’ children.

Together, these controversies have fueled criticism that the NEC's extensive independence has undermined effective oversight and transparency.

"The commission is possibly facing the gravest crisis in the more than 60 years since its establishment, during which it grew into an 'untouchable' institution," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.

He argued that the scandal "struck a particularly sensitive nerve because despite its broad powers and independence, the commission proved incapable of carrying out its most basic responsibility: ensuring that enough ballot papers were available for voters."

As for the NEC's history, Shin noted that the commission was established in the wake of the fraudulent March 15 presidential election in 1960.

It has since enjoyed constitutionally guaranteed independence as an election watchdog, a privilege that has often drawn criticism as the commission resisted financial audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection and challenged attempts to subject it to administrative inspections.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a critic said, "The time has come for the NEC to undergo a comprehensive overhaul, as its constitutional independence has made the institution prone to inefficiency and misconduct over the decades."

On Monday, President Lee Jae Myung met the country’s four other top constitutional officials — National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Constitutional Court President Kim Sang-hwan and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok — to discuss swift measures to prevent a repeat of the ballot shortages.

They agreed on the need for a police investigation and a parliamentary inquiry to determine the administrative and legal responsibility of NEC officials, while pursuing sweeping reforms to the election management system aimed at restoring public trust.

Legislative efforts to strengthen external oversight of the NEC are also expected to gain momentum. Several bills aimed at making the commission subject to greater scrutiny have already been introduced in the National Assembly.

They include a proposal by the main opposition People Power Party to allow a special inspector general to review the NEC's operations and a ruling Democratic Party of Korea bill to establish an independent audit committee composed of outside members.