Responsibility Debate Arises Over 'Sokuri Vote' for Election Commissioner No Jeong-hee... Calls for Statement on Position Continue

15 Standing Election Commission Members Demand Chairman Noh's Position Statement
People Power Party: "Resignation of Secretary-General Is Not a Scapegoat"

No Jeong-hee, Chairperson of the National Election Commission, issued a statement on the 8th at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, one day before the main voting day of the 20th presidential election, apologizing for the confusion caused by early voting among COVID-19 confirmed cases. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] The issue of responsibility for the so-called 'Sokuri Voting' incident that occurred during the 20th presidential election is spreading to calls for the resignation of Election Commissioner No Jeong-hee.

Kim Se-hwan, Secretary General of the Central Election Commission (ministerial level), expressed his intention to resign on the 16th regarding the controversy over poor management of early voting for COVID-19 confirmed and quarantined voters, stating, "As Secretary General, I deeply feel responsible and apologize," but the situation does not seem to be calming down.

On the early voting days of the 4th and 5th, an incident called 'Sokuri Voting' occurred at the polling sites, where ballots of COVID-19 confirmed and quarantined voters were placed not in ballot boxes but in baskets or ramen boxes. Some voters protested that election officials collecting the marked ballots instead of voters directly placing them into the ballot boxes violated the principle of direct and secret voting.

As the Election Commission's poor management of ballot boxes emerged as a critical issue in the presidential election, Election Commissioner No Jeong-hee said on the 7th, "For now, I will focus on preparing measures for the main election. I will address other matters at another time." In a public address the following day, she only said, "I deeply feel responsible and apologize."

The People Power Party is opposing Secretary General Kim's resignation and is urging Commissioner No to step down. Heo Eun-ah, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement that afternoon, "No Jeong-hee, who has consistently shown incompetence and bias, remains in her position. Even if the Secretary General, who acts under the command of the Election Commissioner, resigns, what will change? This is not a matter that can be avoided by a showy scapegoating of the tail."

Kim Gi-hyeon, floor leader of the People Power Party, also demanded No Jeong-hee's immediate resignation at the election countermeasures meeting held at the National Assembly that day, stating, "No Jeong-hee is known to be a member of the left-leaning organization Uri Beop Yeon-guhoe and was the presiding judge who led the acquittal ruling during Lee Jae-myung's Public Official Election Act trial."

The Democratic Party has criticized the 'poor management of early voting' but appears to distance itself from the responsibility issue.

Meanwhile, with two of the nine election commissioners vacant at the end of the government's term and the Secretary General, who oversees election management operations, also expressing intention to resign, concerns are rising about disruptions to preparations for the June 1 local elections, which are about 70 days away.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.