The National Assembly's National Investigation Special Committee on the Election Commission experienced a breakdown due to a sharp clash between the ruling and opposition parties over the recount schedule regarding the June 3 local election ballot shortage incident in Songpa-gu. The Democratic Party of Korea and other opposition parties called for an immediate recount according to the previously agreed schedule, while the People Power Party insisted the schedule should be pushed back until after the launch of the special counsel investigation into the Election Commission.

Recount Procedures and Scale... Estimated to Take About 15 Hours This on-site verification will cover all ballots at the Songpa-gu Election Commission's counting center. Members of the special committee and observers recommended by each political party will participate, and the entire process will be broadcast live through the National Assembly Broadcasting Service and media outlets.

The procedure will begin with checking the seals and storage condition of the ballots and storage boxes before opening them. Election-related documents and equipment, including voting records and vote-counting status sheets, will also be subject to verification, and the plan is to cross-check whether the actual number of ballots matches the figures on the counting sheets. Once verified, the ballots will be repackaged and resealed before being transported to the Election Commission's security facility.

A total of 440 personnel from the Central Election Commission and various levels of election commissions will be mobilized for this process, and police will be responsible for maintaining on-site order and access control. From the preparation stage to the announcement of final results, as well as the resealing and transport of ballots, the process is expected to take approximately 15 hours.

Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Recount Schedule... 3rd Hearing Collapses The special committee's third hearing experienced a breakdown from the start, and even the agency report could not proceed by 3:00 PM. The Democratic Party of Korea maintained its position that the recount should be conducted on the 18th, as tentatively agreed upon by both parties. Representative Yun Geon-young emphasized that the purpose of extending the parliamentary investigation was to carry out the recount, criticizing the People Power Party's attempt to delay the schedule until after the launch of the special counsel investigation as "changing its tune" and "stalling for time." Representatives Yang Bunam and Jeon Yong-gi also argued that the recount should be implemented immediately since it is not directly linked to the special counsel investigation's targets, and Representative Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party lent their support to this position.

On the other hand, the People Power Party did not reject the recount itself but maintained the position that public verification should be conducted in tandem with the special counsel investigation to enhance credibility. Representative Seo Beom-su explained that "even the tentative agreement on the 18th was intended to run concurrently with the special counsel," and proposed discussing the schedule after the special counsel is launched. Representatives Joo Jin-woo and Shin Dong-wook raised issues regarding the storage condition of the ballots, the possibility of evidence contamination, and the need to verify the Election Commission's server data. They also argued that once the special counsel is launched, the ballots could become subject to investigation, making it inappropriate for the special committee to conduct prior verification.

As the disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties could not be narrowed, Chairman Yun Sang-hyun requested a consultation among the chief negotiators and recessed the meeting. After the meeting resumed, the Democratic Party took a step back, proposing to at least agree on alternative dates such as the 24th to the 26th, but the People Power Party opposed setting an immediate schedule, insisting that consultation with the special counsel should come first. Ultimately, the meeting broke down again, and Democratic Party and Cho Kuk Innovation Party members held a press conference condemning the People Power Party for breaking the agreement. Later that afternoon, the meeting proceeded with only People Power Party lawmakers in attendance, as Democratic Party and Cho Kuk Innovation Party members were absent.

Election Commission: "Data Entry Errors Unrelated to Vote Results"... Disagreements Even Within the People Power Party Meanwhile, the Election Commission provided explanations regarding election-related allegations, including the false entry of voter numbers, through its agency report that day. Wi Chong-hwan, acting chair of the Central Election Commission, stated that the data entry error cases were unrelated to the vote results, and Kang Dong-wan, acting secretary-general, also emphasized that voter turnout figures and vote-counting result values are different.

The Election Commission cited polling station managers' errors, deficiencies in reporting procedures, and decision-makers' lack of situational awareness as the causes of the data entry errors. It also mentioned the possibility that there were concerns about raising suspicions of election fraud, which may have led to the failure to correct the erroneous entries.

At that day's petition committee meeting, People Power Party Chairman Yun Sang-hyun drew a line, stating that "connecting the false voter turnout entry incident to the manipulation of vote-counting results is a logical leap," which led to protests from some People Power Party lawmakers, with the debate continuing even within the party.