Moon finally accepts NEC commissioner's resignation

Politics

Published: 24 Jan. 2022, 16:55

Moon finally accepts NEC commissioner's resignation

President Moon Jae-in, left, at a ceremony appointing Cho Hai-ju as the standing commissioner of the National Election Commission (NEC) on Jan. 24, 2019. Cho, whose three-year term was to expire Monday, resigned last Friday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Moon Jae-in accepted Friday the resignation of Cho Hai-ju, the standing commissioner of the National Election Commission (NEC), who has faced internal pressure to step down over concerns of lack of political neutrality.

Last week, all 2,900 NEC staffers issued a statement urging Cho to step down and opposing the extension of his three-year term, which ended Monday. They expressed worries about a fair and neutral election with Cho remaining in the NEC, the JoongAng Ilbo reported last Wednesday.

This was the first time in the near 60-year history of the NEC staff took such collective action.

Cho submitted a pro-forma resignation letter to the president earlier this month, but Moon initially rejected it, citing the need for stability within the commission ahead of the presidential election on March 9. He asked Cho to serve another three-year term as commissioner, going against precedent.

The election body is comprised of a standing commissioner with a three-year term and eight non-permanent commissioners with six-year terms. Traditionally, a standing commissioner left the NEC at the end of his tenure without seeking another term.

Even after Cho's three-year term expired Monday, he could have served as a non-permanent commissioner for another three years.

The opposition People Power Party (PPP) blamed the Blue House for stirring controversy over Cho's appointment and a fair election. PPP floor leader Kim Gi-hyeon described the extension of Cho's term in a party meeting last Wednesday as being "unprecedented" and a "Blue House ploy to take over the NEC."

Cho, a former political science professor at Kookmin University who served as a special adviser in Moon's presidential campaign in 2017, has been criticized for his connections with the ruling Democratic Party (DP) since his appointment in January 2019. At the time, the opposition party protested his appointment without a parliamentary hearing.

Cho tried to submit an early resignation letter last July. The reasoning was that if he resigned as standing commissioner in January this year, at the end of his term, Moon would have to appoint a successor right ahead of the presidential election, which could raise more questions about political neutrality.

Last July, Moon rejected the resignation, urging Cho to complete his term.

Cho fulfilled his term and even held an internal resignation ceremony and again submitted a resignation letter. However, the president refused his resignation and Cho was asked to serve another three years, which prompted the backlash from within the NEC.

Cho again resubmitted his resignation on Friday to Moon, who was on a visit to Egypt.

Cho on Friday posted on the NEC's internal online forum, "I submitted my resignation letter to the person in charge of appointments again today. With this, I hope that the situation related to me will end."

He added, "I would like to express my deepest apologies for any hurt my juniors may have felt because of the situation in which the neutrality and fairness of the commission has been questioned."

Cho also said the situation was not one he had wanted, but "flowed against my will."

The Blue House later Friday afternoon confirmed that Moon had accepted Cho's resignation.

There are now two vacant spots on the nine-member election body.

The other vacant post should have been filled by a candidate recommended by the main opposition party, but the PPP's pick, Moon Sang-boo, a former secretary general of the NEC, has been objected to by the DP. During a National Assembly hearing on Dec. 6, DP lawmakers objected to Moon's appointment, pointing out that he had originally been a member of the PPP and left the party.

Moon stepped down as an NEC commissioner candidate Saturday.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]