Fellow Koreans,

The presidential by-election has been scheduled for June 3.

This is a critically important period for the nation, as we are required by the Constitution and the Public Official Election Act to elect a new president.

The National Election Commission solemnly recognizes the gravity of this election, taking place under serious circumstances, and will fulfill its constitutional mandate by managing the election strictly and fairly.

Although the timeframe is short, we will do our utmost to ensure that the will of the people is fully reflected in the election outcome through thorough preparation and exceptional determination.

Fellow Koreans,

For over four months since the declaration of martial law, our nation has experienced significant political turmoil, fueled by intense factional conflict and allegations of electoral fraud.

Even now, many express concern about the polarization of politics and its resulting discord and division. There are growing worries that the standards for judging social issues and national policies are no longer based on rational thought and reasonable judgment, but rather on confirmation bias and partisan logic.

The controversy over election fraud has yet to subside. Despite numerous lawsuits related to election fraud being dismissed by the Supreme Court as groundless, such claims persist, which we view with regret.

Every public election involves not only around 3,000 NEC officials nationwide but also approximately 300,000 individuals, including local and central government employees, public institution staff, school faculty, and ordinary citizens, participating as polling and counting personnel.

Moreover, over 100,000 election observers, recommended by political parties and candidates, oversee every step of the voting and counting process.

Given the involvement of such a vast number of people, systemic election fraud as alleged by some is not possible. While minor mistakes or errors may occur during the voting and counting processes due to the large number of external participants, these cannot amount to election fraud.

The NEC fully recognizes the importance of this presidential election, held amid a challenging political environment, and will work to increase public trust by making the voting and counting procedures even more transparent.

Fellow citizens,

With the start of preliminary registration of candidates on April 4, the official presidential election schedule has commenced.

With less than two months remaining until election day, we anticipate many difficulties in preparation. Nonetheless, we will do everything within our power to manage the election properly despite the short timeframe.

The NEC will also fully disclose the entire voting and counting process, which is of significant public interest.

We will further ensure transparency and accuracy in the election procedures through measures such as manual ballot counting introduced in the last national election, and the 24-hour surveilance camera monitoring of early voting storage sites.

We will also hold public demonstrations of the voting and counting procedures for journalists to enhance understanding of the election process.

Additionally, we will operate a Fair Election Monitoring Task Force composed autonomously by relevant academic societies, providing a vivid view of the election sites.

Even after the election, if there are lawful requests for server verification through litigation or a parliamentary investigation into election procedures, we will actively cooperate.

We believe this will provide another opportunity to completely dispel suspicions regarding election fraud.

We urge political parties and candidates to practice lawful campaigning, compete based on feasible policies and pledges, and accept the election results gracefully.

We also ask the people to thoroughly examine each candidate’s policies, pledges, qualifications, and capabilities, and to choose the most suitable leader to guide the Republic of Korea toward hope and unity.

We firmly trust that you will not be swayed by baseless slander or false information, and that you will maintain the wisdom not to be misled by attempts to incite division through partisan thinking.

We earnestly ask the media to rigorously scrutinize the policies and pledges of candidates, while also working to correct the spread of indiscriminate false information.

We also ask civil and social organizations to engage in support or opposition activities toward candidates with mature civic awareness and within the boundaries of the law.

Fellow Koreans,

Our country is currently facing severe political and social conflict and confusion.

Nevertheless, accepting the outcome of an election is the most fundamental promise in a democratic nation.

We once again appeal to not only political parties and candidates but also to all citizens to respect and accept the election results.

The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic.

All power comes from the people, and the people realize their will through free elections.

We ask that you exercise your democratic rights by participating in the vote.

Each and every one of your precious votes will serve as a stepping stone to unify our nation.

The National Election Commission will also do its utmost to repay your trust through a fair and transparent election.

Thank you.