Jang Dong-hyuk of the People Power Party moves to the ballot counting situation room in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, for an emergency briefing regarding the ballot shortage on June 3. [Photo=Yonhap News]
The People Power Party has called for a halt to ballot counting and a re-vote in response to an unprecedented ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the party leader, stated on June 3 at the party's headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, that "the voting rights and political rights of Seoul voters have been severely violated," emphasizing that "the election in Seoul is tainted, and a tainted election is invalid."
He further demanded, "Counting should be stopped until the situation is clarified, and if necessary, the election in Seoul should be conducted again. It is not acceptable to brush this aside simply because we assume it did not affect the election results."
The People Power Party has identified ballot shortages at 17 polling stations, including those in Songpa District, and is concerned that voters may have abandoned their ballots or decided not to visit polling places after hearing about the shortage.
Additionally, they believe that voters who cast their ballots after 6 p.m. may have been influenced by exit poll results. In response, the party has activated a reporting center and situation room to investigate whether similar incidents occurred in other areas.
Jang stated, "I will immediately visit the National Election Commission to demand a halt to the counting process," adding, "If we do not completely eradicate the issues with the Commission's election management, we will inevitably face social conflicts during every election."
Oh Se-hoon, the candidate for Seoul mayor, also expressed that "the counting should be halted until measures are taken in areas where voting could not occur," asserting, "No one should have their political rights infringed upon."
Earlier, Song Eon-seok, the party's floor leader, claimed that this incident has significantly undermined the fairness of the election, stating, "It is very difficult to proceed with the election in Seoul as it stands," and formally requested a postponement of the election under Article 196 of the Public Election Act.
Meanwhile, Heo Cheol-hoon, the Secretary-General of the National Election Commission, acknowledged the ballot shortage issue, stating, "Once the counting is completed, we will identify the causes and problems of the ballot shortage and establish measures to prevent recurrence," and expressed deep apologies for damaging public trust in fair election management.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the party leader, stated on June 3 at the party's headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, that "the voting rights and political rights of Seoul voters have been severely violated," emphasizing that "the election in Seoul is tainted, and a tainted election is invalid."
He further demanded, "Counting should be stopped until the situation is clarified, and if necessary, the election in Seoul should be conducted again. It is not acceptable to brush this aside simply because we assume it did not affect the election results."
The People Power Party has identified ballot shortages at 17 polling stations, including those in Songpa District, and is concerned that voters may have abandoned their ballots or decided not to visit polling places after hearing about the shortage.
Additionally, they believe that voters who cast their ballots after 6 p.m. may have been influenced by exit poll results. In response, the party has activated a reporting center and situation room to investigate whether similar incidents occurred in other areas.
Jang stated, "I will immediately visit the National Election Commission to demand a halt to the counting process," adding, "If we do not completely eradicate the issues with the Commission's election management, we will inevitably face social conflicts during every election."
Oh Se-hoon, the candidate for Seoul mayor, also expressed that "the counting should be halted until measures are taken in areas where voting could not occur," asserting, "No one should have their political rights infringed upon."
Earlier, Song Eon-seok, the party's floor leader, claimed that this incident has significantly undermined the fairness of the election, stating, "It is very difficult to proceed with the election in Seoul as it stands," and formally requested a postponement of the election under Article 196 of the Public Election Act.
Meanwhile, Heo Cheol-hoon, the Secretary-General of the National Election Commission, acknowledged the ballot shortage issue, stating, "Once the counting is completed, we will identify the causes and problems of the ballot shortage and establish measures to prevent recurrence," and expressed deep apologies for damaging public trust in fair election management.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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