South Korea's National Election Commission spent approximately 98% [1] of its 8.3 billion won performance-bonus budget in 2023 [1].

The spending occurred while the agency faced public scrutiny over "dad-chance" nepotism allegations. This raises questions about the commission's internal accountability and whether performance rewards are decoupled from the agency's public reputation.

According to an investigation by YTN, the commission allocated the funds to reward excellent civil servants based on established performance-bonus regulations [1]. Despite the controversy surrounding the "dad-chance" scandal, the agency executed nearly the entire budget [1].

This pattern of high spending during periods of crisis is not new. During the 2022 "sokuri vote" scandal, the commission's performance-bonus execution rate reached 99.99% [1]. Similarly, during a nepotism scandal in 2020, the agency spent 98.1% [1] of its bonus allocation.

The National Election Commission said it budgeted the funds according to regulations to ensure that high-performing employees were recognized [1]. However, the consistent near-total exhaustion of these funds during multiple scandals suggests a rigid adherence to spending targets regardless of external pressures.

The 8.3 billion won [1] figure for 2023 underscores the scale of the rewards distributed while the agency's integrity was being questioned by the public and lawmakers.

“The agency executed nearly all of its 8.3 billion won performance-bonus fund despite ongoing nepotism controversies.”

The consistent execution of nearly 100% of performance bonuses during major scandals suggests that the National Election Commission's reward system is automatic rather than discretionary. By maintaining these payouts during the 2020, 2022, and 2023 controversies, the agency demonstrates a disconnect between internal financial incentives and external institutional accountability.