Hundreds of protesters gathered outside a vote-counting facility in Seoul for the fourth consecutive day, seeking a new election due to ballot shortages during the recent local elections. Approximately 950 protesters encircled the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa Ward, blocking entrances to safeguard the ballot boxes. The protests ensued following the temporary suspension of voting at 22 polling stations nationwide last Wednesday because of insufficient ballot papers, as reported by the National Election Commission (NEC).
The number of protesters significantly decreased from around 8,000 individuals who congregated around midnight on Sunday, according to Yonhap news agency. Some protesters have alleged electoral fraud and are calling for a re-run of the local elections. To prevent any potential clashes, the police have deployed about 350 personnel to the protest site. Additionally, the police are investigating the ballot shortages by examining chat room records of election officials and interviewing election workers and voters affected by the scarcity.
As part of the inquiry, a civic activist from the People’s Welfare Countermeasure Committee, Kim Soon-hwan, was questioned over a complaint his group lodged against senior NEC officials for negligence regarding the ballot shortages. President Lee Jae Myung expressed deep regret over the shortages and instructed a thorough joint investigation by prosecutors and police. The police aim to scrutinize whether the election watchdog adhered to proper ballot paper distribution protocols.
