National Election Commission's commissioner Wi Chul-hwan (left, front), who is currently acting chair of the organization, and Rho Tae-ak (right, front), who was formerly chair of the NEC during the June election, appeared for a parliamentary session by the bipartisan special committee dedicated to investigation the election fiasco in the June election, at the National Assembly on Tuesday. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) Wi Chul-hwan, acting chief of South Korea's election authorities, apologized for failures in election management during the June election but rejected calls for his resignation.He appeared Tuesday at a meeting of a bipartisan special parliamentary committee convened to inspect the June election and the National Election Commission, which have faced scrutiny since nationwide ballot shortages caused delays for voters on Election Day.Wi, a commissioner of the NEC who has served as acting chief following Rho Tae-ak's departure as chair after the June election, said his resignation would amount to abandoning his duty to restore public trust in the election authorities."The National Election Commission is currently on the verge of paralysis," Wi said in response to an inquiry by Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the main opposition People Power Party during the parliamentary meeting."Following the NEC chair's resignation, we are seeing a complete vacuum in terms of our duties. We must somehow fulfill our duty to take appropriate measures following a thorough investigation."Wi and Rho were key decision-makers behind the NEC's November decision to reduce the number of ballots to be printed, without preparing adequate countermeasures in the event of ballot paper shortages. The shortages led to the additional printing of ballot papers at 141 polling stations nationwide as a preemptive measure, but voter delays still occurred at 91 polling stations.Ahead of the parliamentary inspection, an independent NEC panel that investigated the election recommended that 12 NEC figures be subject to a police investigation.Before his remarks, Wi issued a formal apology to the public."I'm sorry for disappointing the public due to an incident that should never have happened, so I stand here with a heavy heart and shame," he said. "I could not fulfill the duty under the Constitution of ensuring that no person's voting rights would be violated."Wi also said the NEC "intends to completely break with past practices and move forward to carry out an all-out reorganization."Rho, also appearing before the committee, apologized for the failed election management during Tuesday's session. However, he said he could not clearly recall whether he had been briefed on the NEC's decision to reduce ballot paper printing before the plan received board approval at the NEC general meeting in November.Wi and Rho were among 43 witnesses summoned by the parliamentary committee to appear Tuesday. Other witnesses included NEC commissioners and officials, as well as members of the NEC's Seoul metropolitan-level branch and its Songpa-gu district-level branch.During the morning session, 16 of the 43 witnesses failed to appear, prompting Rep. Youn Kun-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to criticize the NEC for "resisting the truth-finding efforts."The bipartisan special committee has previously agreed to hold two general meetings, on Tuesday and July 1, where authorities are expected to brief parliament and answer lawmakers' questions.The committee is poised to carry out an on-site inspection on July 8, while hearings are scheduled for July 14 and July 22.Committee member Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative Reform Party called for more sessions, citing time constraints as the committee is set to operate only until Aug. 1, and the possibility of the NEC not cooperating with the Assembly committee.While both rival parties were critical of the authorities' lax election management, they differed on how to reform the election body.The ruling bloc, including President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, has proposed changing the NEC's status through a constitutional amendment. The People Power Party, meanwhile, has called for a parliament-sponsored special counsel probe, separate from the ongoing joint investigation by the prosecution and police, alleging that Wi had been a close friend of the liberal president in the past.