Professor Hwang is explaining the problems of the current preliminary election system in the Republic of Korea.
Professor Hwang Do-ssu recently warned that the early voting system poses “the greatest loophole threatening the transparency of South Korea’s elections.”
No Evidence Left Behind
The first concern is that the system leaves no verifiable evidence. In regular voting, voter signatures remain in the register, and ballot papers are stamped by election officials. However, in early voting, both procedures are omitted, making post-verification impossible.
Ballots Without Stamps or Serial Numbers
Second, early voting abolished safeguards against counterfeit ballots. Unlike in regular voting, where stamps and serial numbers can confirm authenticity, early voting has no such mechanism. “Even if fake printed ballots are inserted, there is no way to distinguish them,” Prof. Hwang pointed out.
Dependence on Vulnerable Digital System
Third, the system is overly dependent on electronic records. The integrated voter list is managed entirely online, and personal data is deleted immediately after voting ends. Prof. Hwang argued that it is contradictory to claim the system is “perfect” while simultaneously citing fears of data leakage. Such reliance, he warned, leaves the system open to manipulation and hacking.
Risk of Ballot Box Storage
Furthermore, since early voting takes place days before the main election, ballot boxes must be stored for three to four days, creating opportunities for tampering. Prof. Hwang stressed that this period makes the system particularly vulnerable.
Urgent Need for Reform
“Under the current early voting system, election fraud can occur at any time,” Prof. Hwang warned. Unless reforms are made, public trust in election fairness cannot be restored. Citing the German Constitutional Court, he emphasized the need for a system that allows verification through physical evidence.
A professor in the Department of Law at Konkuk University in the Republic of Korea. He earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Seoul National University and its Graduate School. He has served as a Constitutional Research Officer at the Constitutional Court of Korea, an attorney at Hwang Do-ssu Law Office, a member of the Readers’ Rights Committee at The Dong-A Ilbo, an advisory member of the Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment of the National Assembly, and the Executive Chairperson of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice.