Rho Tae-ak (L), former head of the National Election Commission, bows to Yoon Sang-hyun, chief of a parliamentary special committee during a plenary session of the committee tasked with investigating an unprecedented shortage of ballots reported during the 03 June local elections, at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, 23 June 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 19 (Asia Today) — A South Korean parliamentary committee investigating a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections is divided over whether to publicly recount about 2.48 million ballots stored at a counting center in Seoul.
The ruling Democratic Party argues that the recount should begin promptly because establishing a special counsel investigation would take time.
The opposition People Power Party says lawmakers should first pursue legislation authorizing a special counsel to determine who was responsible for the ballot shortage.
The National Assembly’s special investigation committee is considering a public recount of 2,476,661 ballots stored at the Olympic Park counting center in Seoul’s Songpa District.
The disagreement over whether to prioritize the recount or the special counsel investigation could determine how the committee proceeds with its inquiry.
Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party, who chairs the committee, said the recount and special counsel investigation should proceed simultaneously.
“A recount and a special counsel investigation are not alternatives,” Yoon wrote on Facebook.
“A public recount is a process for verifying the facts before the people, while a special counsel investigation is a process for determining responsibility in accordance with the law and principles,” he said.
Yoon said a recount could not replace a special counsel investigation and that an investigation could not eliminate the need for a recount.
“Transparent verification and a thorough investigation must proceed together,” he said.
Other People Power Party members of the committee have indicated that establishing a special counsel investigation should take priority.
Rep. Choi Bo-yoon told reporters that lawmakers had not determined the legal procedure under which a recount could be conducted.
“We have to question whether it is appropriate to set the recount schedule first under these circumstances,” Choi said.
She said the People Power Party wanted discussions on a special counsel to proceed quickly so the necessary legislation could be passed.
Rep. Seo Beom-su, the committee’s opposition secretary, was reportedly coordinating opinions within the party and considering a compromise.
The Democratic Party argues that an open, manual recount should be conducted first to resolve questions surrounding the ballot shortage.
Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do said his party had proposed an immediate public recount and manual count to ensure no doubts remained.
“The People Power Party, which had demanded a recount, has now changed its position and says a special counsel investigation must come first,” Han said during a party policy meeting at the National Assembly.
Han accused the opposition party of lacking genuine interest in determining whether voters’ political rights had been violated.
The committee is expected to discuss whether to conduct the public recount and what verification procedures to use during its second hearing Wednesday.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260720010006654