Yoon Sang-hyun: NEC lacks capacity for election fraud, but PPP leadership riding conspiracy theories

People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun criticized the National Election Commission on Friday over ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections, while dismissing the body as "a group that lacks even the capacity to commit election fraud."

Appearing on KBS Radio's Jeongyeok Sisa that day, Yoon said, "Isn't the definition of election fraud the intentional manipulation of vote counting to change the outcome for a specific candidate or alter election results?" He added, "Through all my research and the work of the special parliamentary investigation committee, I have found no evidence of election fraud in that sense."

Yoon also turned his criticism on the PPP leadership, saying the party's top brass keeps "jumping on the election-fraud conspiracy theory and riding it."

He said the early voting ballots in the Incheon mayoral race had been called "twin ballots," and that PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok had cited odds of one in 590 million. "That's exactly why I want to open them up," Yoon said. "If a special prosecutor comes in and says open every single one of those fewer than 6,000 ballots one by one, I'll do it — I'll even do non-destructive testing. But they won't let us."

Yoon said he genuinely wants to determine whether fraud occurred, but added, "Politicians who are watching the plaza are blocking it. I feel for the people out there — the citizens, the young people."

Yoon said he and Jang are headed in "different political directions." "I don't do politics by exploiting the plaza or exploiting anger," he said. "Isn't it the duty of politicians to absorb the anger in the plaza, offer solutions and tell the truth? That is a politician's responsibility."

He said Jang "rides the anger of the plaza and just shouts slogans," adding, "He keeps pushing conspiracy theories. If that's the case, there should be a public recount."

Yoon also criticized Yong Hye-in, the nominee for minister of gender equality and family, who has recently drawn controversy. He said Yong holds her Assembly seat through the linked proportional representation system, noting that President Lee Jae-myung himself had acknowledged the satellite party scheme as "political foul play" and even apologized for it. "Yet appointing someone who benefited from that foul play as a minister is problematic," Yoon said.

He also questioned whether Yong is truly the right person to resolve gender conflict as claimed, saying, "She must not be seen as someone who will work for a particular camp. She also lacks policy expertise."

"The real issue is fairness as young people see it," Yoon said. "Young people study so hard, prepare for jobs, fail again and again and pick themselves back up — and yet this nominee became a consecutive Assembly member through the linked proportional representation system."