Within the Democratic Party, discussions are emerging about the possibility of selective re-elections in response to the ballot shortage controversy from the June 3 local elections. However, this approach differs from the comprehensive re-election demanded by the People Power Party.
On June 7, lawmaker Park Sun-won stated on Facebook, "The areas affected by the ballot shortage should undergo re-elections," emphasizing that the National Election Commission (NEC) must take responsibility and ensure re-elections, given that the need for ballots could have been anticipated 2 to 3 days in advance of the early voting.
Park further asserted, "Citizens deprived of their voting rights due to the ballot shortage will not remain silent. It is fundamental to question why the NEC allowed this situation to disrupt public sentiment. Can Noh Tae-ak and Cheon Dae-yeob be unaware of this?"
Similarly, lawmaker Choi Min-hee criticized the call for a full re-election by Jang Dong-hyuk as unreasonable, advocating instead for re-elections only in the regions where ballot issues occurred.
Kim Hyung-nam, a former spokesperson for Democratic Party mayoral candidate Jung Won-o and former director of the Military Human Rights Center, officially requested the party to file an election appeal, stating, "We need to clarify the targets for re-election according to legal procedures and resolve the confusion." An election appeal is a preliminary step in election litigation under the Public Election Act, allowing for challenges to the validity of an election.
Kim noted, "If a decision of 'partial invalidity' is made, the elections at the affected polling stations will be nullified, and re-elections will only be held at those specific locations."
In response, Han Byeong-do acknowledged during a press conference that he was aware of these discussions, urging caution and stating, "We must wait for a swift decision from the courts in accordance with the law and principles."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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