New Year’s Address

Yang, Sung-Tae
Chairperson of National Election Commission

My fellow citizens!

Happy New Year! May you and your family be blessed with good luck and happiness.

On the second of June, national simultaneous local elections will be held to elect heads
of local government and representatives of local council.

Additionally, we have eight elections simultaneously containing voting for superintendents
of education and members of education committee as the first time of Korean election history.

It is expected that this election will be carried out as a fair vote due to mature civic awareness
and election culture of Korea. The election will be a great opportunity to assess results of local
autonomy for 20 years and judge democratic capacity of Korea.

However, there is a concern in terms of management of election since the number of candidates
is around 15 thousand and the number of ballet papers is about three billion.

Preparing for theses problems, National Election Commission will manage election procedure
with pinpoint accuracy by analysing predicted problems and finding its countermeasures.

Besides, National Election Commission will devise every way to prevent voters’ confusion and
ensure voters’ convenience.

National Election Commission will make this election as a chance of fair competition among
various candidates and parties by guiding election law observance, preventing rigged election
and imposing sanctions on violation of election law.

The Commission will do its best to enhance law-abiding spirit from election to Korean society
by punishing anyone who violates election law.

Dear all the people!

Your lively interest in election and participation in election are vital to accomplish a fair election.

Voters demonstrate their strongest power through casting a vote. Moreover, this election with
eight ballots at once is the best chance to choose our leaders guiding our local autonomy and
education.

We will not allow bad practices to get votes depending on money and valuables or Regionalism
and bad customs to win votes through slandering and false propaganda.

Open a better future by requiring and speaking in an imposing manner rather than presenting
dissatisfaction and criticism without any restriction.

My fellow citizens!

National Election Commission will do its best to make strong basis of democracy and integrate
our society by opening this year with your trust.

May you and your family be blessed with health and happiness.

Thank you.