Key facts
- The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) is considering an accounting audit of the National Election Commission (NEC).
- The audit is prompted by ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections.
- The BAI will assess budget allocation for ballot printing and determine responsibility for the shortages.
- The NEC has apologized for the shortages, citing an incorrect voter turnout prediction.
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state auditor is contemplating a financial audit of the National Election Commission (NEC) following widespread criticism over ballot shortages during the recent June 3 local elections. The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) is cautiously evaluating this option while observing the progress of joint police and prosecution investigations, as well as a parliamentary probe into the matter.
The NEC, an independent constitutional organization, is typically shielded from full-fledged performance audits to maintain political neutrality. However, an accounting audit is considered permissible as it is not seen as politically motivated. Such an audit would likely scrutinize the allocation and execution of the budget for printing ballot papers and aim to pinpoint responsibility for the shortages.
A BAI official stated, "We're monitoring the situation while looking into various possibilities." The unprecedented ballot shortages have led to calls for the NEC's dismantlement, with voting temporarily suspended at 26 polling stations and some voters reportedly unable to cast their ballots. Critics argue this has compromised the election's procedural legitimacy.