[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Lee Chang-hwan reports that Kim Dae-woong, a nominee for the Central Election Commission (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 19th batch), expressed on the 6th a deep sense of responsibility, acknowledging the heightened public interest and concern over the commission’s impartial election management. During his opening remarks at the personnel hearing held at the National Assembly’s Administrative and Security Committee, Kim stated, “Standing here today is a personal honor for me.”
Kim, who has served as a judge for 32 years, emphasized, “I have always prioritized the people, striving to adjudicate fairly based on law and conscience to fulfill the constitutional duty of protecting the weak and minorities within the framework of basic rights.” He went on to say, “The values of fairness, neutrality, and trust that I have adhered to are also expected of an election commission member.”
He added, “This is what citizens expect from the commission and what I must achieve while being scrutinized in this capacity. With recent suspicions surrounding election management, I was reminded of the commission’s crucial role in the development of democracy while preparing for this hearing.”
Furthermore, Kim highlighted the need to assess whether the commission failed to adequately respond to the changing electoral landscape and if there are areas for improvement from the public’s perspective. “If given the chance to serve as a commission member, I will closely examine any issues that arose during past elections and look into any irrational aspects of the operation,” he stated.
Kim pledged to uphold fairness and trust as paramount values in all future elections and to strive to transform the commission into a constitutional body trusted by the public by improving unreasonable systems.
A graduate of Seoul National University’s law school in 1988 and having completed the 19th class at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Kim entered the legal field as a judge at the Suwon District Court in 1993. He served as a judge at the Seoul High Court, chief judge at the Gwangju High Court, and is currently the chief of the Seoul High Court.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court recently nominated Kim, the chief of the Seoul High Court, as a successor to Kim Chang-bo, whose term as an election commission member is set to expire on the 18th of this month, and has requested a personnel hearing from the National Assembly.
The Central Election Commission consists of nine members, with three appointed by the President, three elected by the National Assembly, and three designated by the Chief Justice.