Minju Launches Full-Scale Offensive Accusing Yoon Administration of Attempting to Seize Election Commission Control... Pushes for Parliamentary Fact-Finding Investigation

Hong Ik-pyo Floor Leader, National Assembly Press Conference
"NIS and Election Commission Security Inspection Results
Announcing One Day Before By-election Is Election Interference"

The Democratic Party of Korea launched a full-scale offensive, labeling the actions of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which announced the results of the Security Consulting of the Election Commission the day before the Seoul Gangseo District Office Chief election, as an "anti-constitutional behavior" and demanding a fact-finding investigation at the National Assembly level.

On the same day, Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader, held a press briefing titled "Call to Stop the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration's Attempt to Seize the Election Commission" at the National Assembly main building, stating, "The NIS's attempt to shake the Election Commission is a 'declaration of war against the people,' serving the regime's ambition while dreaming of reviving domestic intelligence collection functions and interfering in domestic politics and elections."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Hong said, "After inspecting the security system of the Election Commission, a constitutional institution, the NIS spoke of 'hacking' as if a major incident had occurred. They announced the security inspection results the day before the Gangseo District Office Chief by-election, claiming there was a possibility of manipulation in voting and counting." He added, "Although the election is over, the public still wonders what the NIS's intentions are."

He continued, "There are many concerns that the NIS, which has worked to become the 'people's NIS,' is trying to revert to being the regime's NIS as in the past," emphasizing, "Elections and voting are the most important political acts in a democratic country to elect those entrusted with the people's power and serve as a touchstone to gauge the level of democracy in a society."

He said, "Threatening this is a very dangerous act that could put the democracy our people have painstakingly built back into crisis," criticizing, "Recently, the Yoon administration's intimidation of the Election Commission, the foundation of democracy, has gone too far. Government ministries, the ruling party, and investigative agencies are mobilized to simultaneously pressure the Election Commission." He warned the government, "They must stop the anti-constitutional behavior that undermines the independence and neutrality of the Election Commission. The NIS should not even dream of political or election interference."

Kang Byung-won, the opposition party's ranking member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, revealed at the event that after the NIS's security inspection, 15 inspection tools remained across all four systems of the Election Commission. Citing experts' advice, he raised the possibility that these tools were "hacking tools."

Kang said, "Based on the names of the tool files, experts advised that they appear to be hacking tools," and argued, "If the security inspection was conducted with good intentions, the NIS should clearly disclose the process, the tools used, and the reasons for their use." He added, "A thorough fact-finding investigation at the National Assembly level must be conducted regarding the abnormal security consulting process and results of the NIS," and stated, "We strongly condemn the Yoon administration's attempt to seize the Election Commission and will stand with the people until it is stopped."

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