Kim Yong-bin Appointed Secretary General of the Election Commission: "I Will Strive to Revitalize the Organization"

"Election Commission Loses Public Trust in an Instant
Courage Needed to Admit Past Mistakes"

Kim Yong-bin, the new Secretary General of the National Election Commission, took office on the 26th.

The National Election Commission announced that on the morning of the same day, it held an inauguration ceremony for Secretary General Kim at the Commission's main auditorium, attended by standing commissioners, senior officials, and staff members.

Secretary General Kim emphasized "organizational innovation," referring to recent controversies over recruitment irregularities. In his inaugural speech, he explained, "(The Commission) lost public trust in an instant due to some inadequate responses during the early voting process of the 20th presidential election, and recently caused another disappointment to the public due to controversies over the recruitment of high-ranking officials' children."

He continued, "It is difficult to resolve public distrust through internal efforts alone, so although as a constitutional institution we are not obligated to undergo audits by external bodies such as the Board of Audit and Inspection, we have reluctantly decided to comply with such audits to restore external trust," adding, "Through this, we will work to dispel public suspicions and strive for organizational reform."

Secretary General Kim stressed, "Organizational innovation cannot be easily achieved in a short period. To break unreasonable practices, someone’s principled criticism and courageous action are necessary. If there were any mistakes in the past, it requires the courage to honestly acknowledge them rather than making lame excuses."

He also stated his commitment to creating a National Election Commission that prioritizes the people and unites harmoniously to adapt to the changing election environment.

Furthermore, Secretary General Kim pledged to devote full efforts to preparing for next year’s 22nd National Assembly election. He said, "The present and future of our Commission depend on the successful management of this election. We must focus our capabilities more than ever on flawless management of legal procedures, including voting and counting operations. Only fair election management based on law and principles can restore public trust."

Born in 1959 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Secretary General Kim graduated from Seoul National University’s College of Law in 1983. He passed the 26th Judicial Examination and served as a judge for 33 years at courts including Incheon District Court and Seoul Civil District Court. He began election-related work in 1994 as the Chairperson of the Cheongyang County Election Commission and served as chairperson at a total of five district, city, county, and provincial election commissions, including Gangwon Province in 2019, managing seven public elections in total.

Secretary General Kim was known to be a classmate of President Yoon Seok-youl from Seoul National University Law School, class of ’79, which sparked controversy at the time of his appointment. In response, Kim explained to reporters after receiving his appointment certificate the day before, "Although I am a classmate of President Yoon, we have had no private contact for nearly 40 years since graduating from university." Secretary General Kim is the first Secretary General appointed from outside the National Election Commission in 35 years.

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