Ruling and opposition parties clash over the NEC special counsel bill

As the Democratic Party of Korea has said it will submit a special counsel bill on the National Election Commission this week regarding the shortage of ballot papers in the June 3 local elections, the ruling and opposition parties are clashing over how to recommend special counsel candidates. The Democratic Party argues that recommendations by a third party, such as the Korean Bar Association, are more independent and fair, and said it will include in the scope of the investigation the process behind the reduction in ballot paper printing quantities, failure to report, and internal issues within the National Election Commission. The People Power Party, on the other hand, is protesting, saying that the opposition party's right to recommend is necessary for the effectiveness and fairness of the special counsel. Because the gap between the ruling and opposition parties' positions is large, it may take more time before the special counsel bill is handled. Meanwhile, People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sanghyun also announced a plan to push for a public recount of the 2.47 million ballots remaining at the Olympic Park counting center.