Oh Se-hoon, the newly elected mayor of Seoul, addressed the ballot shortage issue that arose during the June 3 local elections, targeting both the government and the National Election Commission. Online community members shared their opinions on the matter.
On June 4, at his campaign headquarters in Jongno, Oh stated, "This election is a victory for common sense," adding, "The citizens of Seoul have upheld the fundamental democratic principle of checks and balances."
Oh specifically criticized the National Election Commission for the ballot shortages at 14 polling stations in districts like Songpa and Dongjak, asserting, "It seems that the Election Commission is being held solely responsible, but ultimately, the president bears the responsibility."
He emphasized, "The Election Commission must reflect deeply on this incident. It is one of the most complacent public organizations I have encountered. We need to innovate from the ground up, with the resolve to dismantle the commission. In that sense, the Ministry of the Interior and the president cannot escape responsibility either."
Oh expressed his deep regret as a candidate regarding the infringement on citizens' voting rights, stating, "We cannot ignore this significant flaw just because citizens achieved a great victory." He insisted that there must be fundamental improvements to address the issues at hand.
In response to his comments, netizens remarked, "This is exactly why we elected him," and "He needs to take strong action while the momentum is on his side." Others commented on the government's lack of accountability, saying, "The person who claimed to be the control tower is now silent," and suggested that at least a public apology was warranted.
Meanwhile, Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party won the fiercely contested Seoul mayoral election against Jung Won-oh of the Democratic Party, marking his fifth consecutive term as mayor.
According to the National Election Commission on June 4, with 97.7% of the votes counted by 9:30 a.m., Oh secured 48.94% of the votes, leading Jung, who received 48.34%, by a narrow margin of 0.6 percentage points. Jung has since acknowledged his defeat.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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