The Democratic Party of Korea's National Election Commission Reform Task Force announced Thursday it would introduce three bills to overhaul the electoral watchdog, including converting the NEC chairperson into a full-time standing position and establishing an independent external audit committee.
Members of the task force held a press conference at the National Assembly, saying they had prepared the legislation "to protect citizens' right to political participation and strengthen accountability in election administration through a number of reforms achievable by amending existing laws."
The centerpiece of the package is converting the NEC chairperson from the current non-standing arrangement to a full-time standing role.
The number of full-time standing commissioners on the NEC would also expand from one to three, with each dedicated to overseeing voting management, investigations and enforcement, and organizational operations, respectively.
The secretary-general of the NEC would be recruited from outside the commission and subject to a National Assembly confirmation hearing.
The bills also call for establishing an independent audit committee composed of external figures.
Task force members said they were also preparing a separate constitutional amendment, adding that they believed "fundamental reform — including changing the NEC's name and the way it is composed — must be carried out even if it requires amending the Constitution."
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
