Head of election watchdog apologizes for hiring irregularities

The head of the election watchdog apologized Wednesday over suspicions that children of some senior officials were unfairly hired amid growing public backlash.

Roh Tae-ak, chairman of the National Election Commission (NEC), issued the apology in a public statement, saying the unfair hiring has caused “great disappointment and concern to the people.”

Roh said he will actively consider various measures, including external oversight of the agency, on top of the reforms the NEC has already achieved, such as overhauling regulations in human resources and strengthening the independence of audit agencies.

Last week, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) uncovered suspected nepotism involving the hiring of family members and relatives of former and current officials at the NEC.

The BAI revealed that NEC officials ranging from high-ranking officials to mid-level managers had frequently solicited hires for their family members, while recruitment officers used various illegal ways to ensure the hires.

The BAI asked the NEC to take disciplinary action against 32 former and current officials for their abuse of power and violations.

Roh’s apology came a day after the NEC apologized once again to the public and said it will review setting up a temporary commission led by external experts to reform its practices and restore public trust.