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National Election Commission issues apology over nepotism in hiring practices

Published: 04 Mar. 2025, 18:43

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

The headquarters of the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 28. [NEWS1]

The National Election Commission (NEC) on Tuesday issued an apology in response to the controversy over nepotism in its hiring practices.

In a statement, the NEC expressed its "deep apology to the public" following the Board of Audit and Inspection's (BAI) announcement that the commission had violated state hiring guidelines. The NEC further stated that it would "actively participate" if the National Assembly proceeds with discussions on measures to regulate the commission.

On Monday, the conservative People Power Party said that it plans to propose a bill aimed at "restoring public trust" in the NEC by appointing a special inspector to audit its election-related systems.

The BAI revealed last week that the NEC’s regional branches had violated state hiring guidelines 878 times between 2013 and 2022 by prioritizing the children and acquaintances of NEC officials.

The state auditor called on the NEC to take disciplinary action against 32 current and former officials, accusing them of abusing their positions and "severely compromising the fairness of the recruitment process for public officials."

Of the 32 individuals, the NEC said that 17 will face penalties and 10 will receive warnings. The remaining five are retirees.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]