Heo Cheol-ho, Secretary General of the National Election Commission, apologizes to the public regarding the voting paper shortage on June 3 in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Photo: Yonhap News]
An unprecedented shortage of voting papers occurred during the local elections held on June 3. The National Election Commission (NEC) arranged for emergency deliveries of voting papers and allowed voters waiting at polling stations to cast their ballots even after the official closing time. However, some voters at over ten polling places, including those in Seoul, chose to abandon their votes. In response to the growing controversy, Heo Cheol-ho, Secretary General of the NEC, expressed deep regret for undermining public trust and promised to implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
According to the NEC, the polling places affected by the shortage included 14 locations in districts such as Songpa-gu's Garak 2-dong, Jamsil 2-dong, Jamsil 4-dong, Jamsil 7-dong, Munjeong 2-dong, Gangnam-gu's Cheongdam-dong, and Gwangjin-gu's Guui 3-dong. However, the People Power Party reported that 17 polling places, including those outside Seoul, experienced a lack of voting papers.
Notably, at the second polling place in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, voting hours were extended until 10 p.m., leading some voters to abandon their ballots or wait to confirm the counting process before voting. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, visited the NEC to demand a halt to the vote counting. The party maintains that a re-election should be conducted if necessary.
Oh Se-hoon, the candidate for Seoul mayor, stated, "Vote counting should be suspended until measures are in place for areas where voting could not occur," emphasizing that no one should have their voting rights infringed upon. In contrast, Jo Seung-rae, Secretary General of the Democratic Party, expressed strong regret over the NEC's mismanagement but dismissed the People Power Party's calls for a vote counting halt and re-election as unwarranted.
Interestingly, most of the areas affected by the voting paper shortage are known to have strong conservative support, suggesting that the repercussions of this incident may continue for some time after the election concludes.
According to the NEC, the polling places affected by the shortage included 14 locations in districts such as Songpa-gu's Garak 2-dong, Jamsil 2-dong, Jamsil 4-dong, Jamsil 7-dong, Munjeong 2-dong, Gangnam-gu's Cheongdam-dong, and Gwangjin-gu's Guui 3-dong. However, the People Power Party reported that 17 polling places, including those outside Seoul, experienced a lack of voting papers.
Notably, at the second polling place in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, voting hours were extended until 10 p.m., leading some voters to abandon their ballots or wait to confirm the counting process before voting. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, visited the NEC to demand a halt to the vote counting. The party maintains that a re-election should be conducted if necessary.
Oh Se-hoon, the candidate for Seoul mayor, stated, "Vote counting should be suspended until measures are in place for areas where voting could not occur," emphasizing that no one should have their voting rights infringed upon. In contrast, Jo Seung-rae, Secretary General of the Democratic Party, expressed strong regret over the NEC's mismanagement but dismissed the People Power Party's calls for a vote counting halt and re-election as unwarranted.
Interestingly, most of the areas affected by the voting paper shortage are known to have strong conservative support, suggesting that the repercussions of this incident may continue for some time after the election concludes.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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