Heads of 17 regional election commissions showed up just once a month, data shows

Amid continued criticism of the National Election Commission over a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections, it has emerged that the heads of the 17 regional election commissions — all part-time positions — came into the office roughly once a month.

Data obtained Thursday by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Chae Hyeon-il from the National Election Commission showed that the 17 regional commission chairs logged an annual average of 14.2 working days between 2022 and 2025.

That works out to about 1.2 days per month at their respective regional offices.

Even in election-heavy years, attendance was limited. The average was 14.9 days in 2022, when both a presidential election and local elections were held, and 15 days in 2024, when a general election took place. Last year, which also saw a presidential election, the average was 15.6 days.

This year, the average attendance for regional commission chairs stood at 11.4 days.

Former NEC Chairman Noh Tae-ak logged an annual average of 49.8 working days between 2022 and 2025, while non-resident members of the central commission averaged 19 days over the same period.

This year, Noh worked 45 days before resigning on June 5 to take responsibility for the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.

Under the current system, the NEC chairmanship is typically held concurrently by a Supreme Court justice, while the heads of lower-level commissions are filled by presiding judges of the relevant courts — all on a part-time basis.

“타슈켄트 신공항에 더해 물류·주거 복합 스마트 에어로시티 투자 검토” [한-우즈벡 경제협력포럼 2026]

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