Allegations of nepotism involving incumbent and former executives of the National Election Commission(NEC) are escalating as suspected cases of irregular employment continue to mount.

The election watchdog on Tuesday held an emergency meeting chaired by its president Rho Tae-ak and discussed self-reform measures to be announced on Wednesday.

Depending on an internal audit, the agency is also reviewing requesting a formal investigation as a civic group has already filed a complaint and the ruling People Power Party is considering similar moves.

PPP chairman Kim Gi-hyeon on Tuesday called for a proper investigation instead of an internal probe while its policy chief Park Dae-chul vowed to get to the bottom of the scandal by all means.

Earlier, the commission found that a conflict of interest was not reported when the agency hired six children of current and former NEC secretaries general, a deputy secretary general, and regional standing committee members. At least five additional cases have since been confirmed with the number likely to grow amid an ongoing inspection.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has also opened an investigation into the hiring suspicions.

The NEC hired 75 experienced workers last year, compared to just 26 in 2018 while those employed through open recruitment fell from 110 to 77 in the cited period. The agency is expected to launch discussions on improving its hiring system amid calls for its chair to resign.