Roh Tae-ak, chairman of the National Election Commission (NEC), drinks water during a meeting held in the NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 6. Yonhap

The National Election Commission (NEC) is once again at the center of controversy. The election watchdog has come under fire for attempting to silence legitimate concerns about the integrity of election results and its vulnerable cybersecurity. The NEC also faced backlash for its decision to prohibit a banner criticizing Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition party. Both decisions became public and were ultimately reversed under mounting pressure, further damaging the commission's credibility.

The NEC is grappling with a crisis of trust.

Reforming the election watchdog is no longer sufficient — it must undergo a complete overhaul to become a trusted institution capable of safeguarding election integrity. However, the NEC's recent actions have cast doubt on its ability to regain public trust. Even more concerning is the NEC's apparent lack of awareness regarding the gravity of its issues or how to address them effectively.

In an attempt to clamp down on those who question election outcomes, the NEC proposed revising the Public Official Election Act to introduce severe penalties for anyone raising suspicions about early voting or election results. Under the proposed revisions, violators could face prison sentences of up to 10 years or fines of up to 30 million won ($20,560).

On Dec. 20, NEC spokesperson Cho Dong-jin explained on a radio program that the election watchdog was working with the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee to amend the law. He pointed out that the current law penalizes individuals who campaign against specific candidates but does not address those who question election results or spread conspiracy theories. The NEC's proposed changes aim to close this loophole by making claims of election fraud punishable offenses, he said.

This proposal sparked widespread public backlash, as many saw it as a threat to freedom of speech and association. In response to the criticism, NEC officials convened a meeting on Monday to discuss the measure's potential repercussions and agreed to suspend the plan, according to media reports.

The NEC has a long history of controversy.

Earlier this month, President Yoon Suk Yeol cited election integrity as one of the key motivations for his brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. Following the decree, hundreds of troops were deployed to the NEC to secure its servers containing early voting data, in order to investigate whether election results had been compromised. The president was later suspended from his duties after the National Assembly passed a motion to impeach him.

But Cho Han-chang, a Constitutional Court justice nominee, disagreed. During a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on Dec. 24, he claimed that various cases proved that the rigged election allegations are groundless.

"I understand that the Supreme Court ruled against the cases involving election fraud allegations. I personally believe the NEC is doing its utmost to prevent election fraud," he said.

But some are still suspicious about election integrity.

A public opinion survey revealed that nearly four out of 10 Koreans believe election fraud may have occurred in the past. A Hyundai Research-Weekly Chosun survey, conducted between Oct. 13 and 14 last year, found that 38.2 percent of people in the Greater Seoul area thought previous election results might have been manipulated through hacking. Interestingly, those most likely to suspect election rigging were people in their twenties and those over 60, with 41.8 percent and 43.9 percent of each group, respectively, voicing suspicions.

These concerns were further fueled by a joint security checkup conducted by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the NEC, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency. The results were alarming: the NEC's network was so vulnerable that a hacker hired by the NIS for a mock test was able to breach the system.

The NEC is primarily responsible for the credibility crisis it now faces.

Public skepticism grew last year when votes were recounted in several electoral districts, revealing signs of alleged irregularities. Activists posted images on social media of suspicious ballots found during the recount. One ballot, distinguished by its green-colored bottom, was nicknamed the "cabbage ballot." Meanwhile, another bundle of ballots, stuck together and appearing unusually fresh and free of creases, raised suspicions as if they had never been handled or used. The NEC's explanations for these anomalies were insufficient to quell public suspicions about the integrity of the elections.

Election integrity is the cornerstone of democracy and must be safeguarded at all costs. However, it remains uncertain whether the NEC can reform itself, rebuild public trust, and ensure the integrity of future elections.