President Lee Jae-myung Appoints Attorney Lee Tae-han as NEC Special Counsel… Launches Probe into Ballot Shortage Scandal

President Lee Jae-myung has appointed attorney Lee Tae-han as the special counsel for the National Election Commission (NEC) case, placing the investigation into the 2024 general election ballot shortage scandal on track. As the president issued the special counsel appointment within the legal deadline, the 'ballot shortage scandal' has reignited as a key focal point of state affairs.

Appointment within Legal Deadline… Attorney Lee Tae-han Selected

President Lee reportedly chose attorney Lee Tae-han from the candidates—Lee Tae-han and Lee Hyuk—under the obligation to finalize the NEC special counsel appointment process within the statutory deadline. Earlier, the recommendation committee notified the president of the two candidates; given warnings that any delay could spark controversy over a vacuum in state affairs, this decision serves to block procedural disputes. While attorney Lee Tae-han has drawn mixed evaluations from the legal community regarding his investigative experience and trial capabilities, considering the non-partisan nature of the special counsel, his neutral profile—leaning neither toward the prosecution nor the courts—is interpreted as the decisive background.

The target of the NEC special counsel’s investigation is the ballot shortage that occurred at numerous polling stations nationwide during the 22nd General Election. From the moment vote counting began, confusion ensued with voters waiting or having to use temporary ballots due to depleted paper supplies. The core issue is whether there were significant flaws in the NEC’s prior demand forecasting and volume management. The investigation is expected to clarify whether this was a simple administrative error or a scheme designed to disadvantage specific regions or candidates.

Diverging Views from Ruling and Opposition Parties… Spread of Political Fallout

The ruling party views the appointment of the special counsel as a fulfillment of a presidential campaign pledge and a starting point for restoring trust in the election system. President Lee recently emphasized, "Practical sanctions are needed for the disparagement of specific regions and the mockery of incident victims," presenting a direction to simultaneously check the fairness of the election process and expression. Conversely, the People Power Party has raised checks, arguing that "the special counsel should not be transformed into a retaliatory tool for specific political forces" regarding the investigation's scope and personnel. The opposition party, in particular, has questioned the potential for biased targeting and is demanding simultaneous oversight mechanisms at the National Assembly level.

A point to note is the timing. President Lee has recently brought up constitutional amendment discussions, and public opinion polls show 65% of citizens want him to declare his intention to forgo another term to facilitate such discussions. With the NEC special counsel launching in this climate, election management system reform is likely to naturally connect with the constitutional amendment agenda. Discussions on redesigning the NEC’s status and powers at the constitutional level are expected to accelerate based on the special counsel’s findings.

Election System Trust, Outlook for Schedule

The special counsel’s investigation will typically proceed through a preliminary investigation phase of about 20 days followed by a full investigation. Summonses for NEC executives and officials from paper ordering and distribution companies are expected, potentially leading to search and seizure operations and decisions on indictment. Depending on the results, subsequent measures could include the impeachment of NEC members or legislation for organizational restructuring. Given that the ruling party maintains a reform drive—such as the relocation of the Office of the President for criminal suspects—the counsel’s conclusion is expected to directly influence the design of the next election system.

However, there are risks. If the investigation drags on or disagreements over the level of indictment intensify, there is concern the special counsel itself could become consumed by political wrangling. With the opposition continuing to demand verification of the investigation’s neutrality, the special counsel team's initial investigative direction is likely to determine overall credibility. As diplomatic engagements, such as the meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, continue, whether President Lee can manage domestic election reform and diplomatic balance simultaneously will be a key point to watch in state affairs administration.