Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has called for a fundamental reform of the state election watchdog, potentially through a constitutional amendment, following significant flaws in the handling of the recent local elections. During a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee highlighted the National Election Commission's (NEC) failure to prepare enough ballot papers for the June 3 local elections, which disrupted voting at 26 polling stations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee expressed his concerns over the lack of oversight and checks and balances on the operations of the NEC, which operates as an independent body. He proposed a potential constitutional amendment, emphasizing the need for bipartisan agreement to implement such a change. Lee noted the high probability of any attempt to establish legal oversight being ruled unconstitutional due to the NEC's independent status.

Lee specifically pointed out the necessity to revise the current method of selecting one of three NEC members, recommended by the Supreme Court chief justice, to head the watchdog. He stated that the government would decide its stance after observing political discussions.

In a subsequent meeting with his top aides, Lee reiterated his criticism of the NEC, attributing the incident to negligence and moral hazard. He advocated for a comprehensive legal revision to reform the election administration system and called for a thorough investigation to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The president also demanded strict responses to the violence reported during ongoing protests in Jamsil, southern Seoul, over the ballot paper shortages. He stressed the importance of protecting peaceful rallies that promote sovereign rights restoration, while also warning against illegal acts of violence or dissemination of fake news during such protests.

When questioned about potential Cabinet changes, Lee mentioned that a reshuffle would occur at an appropriate time, considering the administration had surpassed the one-year milestone. Following the local elections, Lee nominated Han Seong-sook, the minister of small and medium-sized enterprises, to replace Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. However, he indicated that specific details regarding the timing, ministries, and extent of the reshuffle had not yet been finalized.