On June 3, during the 9th nationwide local elections, numerous reports of disruptions and election interference were made to emergency services across polling places in South Korea.
Incidents ranged from attempts to photograph ballots to allegations of election fraud and even assaults on election officials, creating a tense atmosphere near polling locations.
According to Yonhap News, as of 3 p.m. on election day, there were 312 reports related to the elections made to emergency services, with 53 of those concerning election interference.
At a polling place in Yeongdeungpo-gu, a woman in her 70s caused a disturbance by claiming that her ballot had already been marked. Police are currently investigating her claims as a one-sided report.
In Gwanak-gu, a man in his 30s created a scene when he was stopped from attempting to photograph his ballot inside the voting booth. In Sejong, a man in his 40s was prevented from showing his completed ballot to others after he tried to remove it from the ballot box.
Reports of suspected election fraud also emerged. In Gangdong-gu, a report was filed claiming that ballots were printed in duplicate, but the election commission confirmed it was a simple mistake by an election worker.
At a polling place in Gochon-eup, a woman in her 60s caused a scene, claiming her preferred candidate was not on the ballot, and subsequently assaulted the election official who intervened.
In Gwangju, a man in his 70s reported to police that he received only two ballots when he should have received three, alleging that fraudulent activity was occurring. However, a system check confirmed that three ballots had indeed been printed, leading to the conclusion that it was a misunderstanding.
An assault incident was also reported in Guro-gu, where a man in his 60s, having arrived at the wrong polling place, struck and pulled the arm of an election official who was trying to guide him to the correct location. Police are set to investigate potential violations of the law.
Additionally, there were reports of conflicts between observers and voters at some polling places, attempts to photograph inside polling locations, and public displays of ballots, highlighting ongoing tensions regarding election order.
Authorities have classified election-related emergency reports as a top priority and have deployed personnel around polling places to manage the situation.
Yonhap News reported that police stated they would respond strictly to any actions that disrupt voting or undermine election order, maintaining a state of emergency response until the election concludes.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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