The new head of the country's election watchdog was sworn in on Monday.

As the first female chief of the National Election Commission, Noh Jeong-hee said in her inaugural speech that the NEC's political neutrality and confidence in the outcome of voting have been questioned in recent elections by some who raise allegations of fraud.

She said the agency must enhance expertise in election management and uncover loopholes throughout the election process to defuse the public's concerns.

The commissioner stressed that impartiality cannot be over emphasized and there can be no distinction between conservatives, liberals or ruling and opposition parties.

She called for the disclosure of the entire election process more transparently to boost public trust and conducting research to improve ways to secure and spend political funds.

Noh also asked the NEC to seek measures to increase representation and protect the rights of women, young people and the disabled who are often marginalized from politics and elections.

During her confirmation hearing in parliament, there was controversy over her past activities with two left-leaning organizations.