President Lee Expresses Deep Regret Over Election Management Flaws: "Causes Must Be Clarified and Accountability Ensured" (Comprehensive)

President Lee Presides Over Senior Secretary Meeting on the 4th
"Swiftly Establish Credible and Appropriate Measures"
To the National Election Commission: "Conduct Thorough Self-Examination and Follow-Up Actions"
After Local Elections: "Uni

On June 4, marking his first anniversary in office, President Lee Jae-myung expressed deep regret over the temporary suspension of voting at some polling stations in Seoul during the June 3 local elections due to a shortage of ballot papers. He stated, "It is difficult to accept that such an unacceptable oversight has occurred in election management, which should be the most thorough process in a democratic republic."

Yonhap News Agency

Presiding over the 36th Chief Presidential Secretary meeting at the Blue House under the theme "Measures for the Successful Settlement of the 9th Popularly Elected Local Governments," President Lee remarked, "Yesterday, residents in some areas of Seoul experienced significant confusion and inconvenience due to the shortage of ballot papers." On this day, President Lee attended the meeting wearing the unity necktie he wore at his inauguration last year.

President Lee instructed relevant agencies to "fully exercise the administration's authority and responsibility to clarify the cause of the problem and hold accountable those who are responsible." He added, "I urge you to quickly establish reliable and appropriate measures to ensure that not even the slightest infringement on the people's right to vote happens again."

The Blue House clarified, however, that President Lee’s directive did not mean the administration would directly sanction the National Election Commission. Kang Yoo-jung, Chief Presidential Spokesperson, stated during a press briefing at Chunchugwan after the meeting, "This does not signify direct sanctions against the Election Commission; rather, it means that the Commission must take all responsible actions to ensure that the people's voting rights are not compromised."

Kang further emphasized, "The Election Commission must take this matter seriously and proactively conduct a thorough inspection and implement all necessary follow-up actions. The Blue House is closely monitoring this issue." When asked about possible concrete administrative actions, including an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection, she replied, "Given that the Election Commission is a constitutional body with grave responsibilities, the emphasis is on the need for appropriate action."

The previous day, voting was temporarily suspended at 14 polling stations in Seoul, including in Songpa, Gangnam, Gwangjin, and Dongjak, due to a shortage of ballot papers. Some voters gave up on voting, while others received waiting tickets and were able to vote after 6 p.m. At the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station, some voters who received waiting tickets did not actually vote, resulting in voting hours being extended until 10 p.m., and apartment broadcasts were used to encourage voter participation.

The National Election Commission issued a public apology in the name of Secretary General Heo Cheol-hoon, stating, "We caused great confusion and concern to citizens due to the shortage of ballot papers at some polling stations," and "We feel a deep sense of responsibility for undermining public trust in fair election management."

After the local elections, President Lee also called on the political community to cooperate for people's livelihoods and national unity. He said, "Regardless of how fierce the competition was during the election, both the ruling and opposition parties are partners representing the sovereign people, responsible for safeguarding citizens’ lives and pioneering a better future for the nation. Now that the election is over, I ask the political community to join forces in making real improvements to people’s lives, achieving balanced regional development, and fostering national unity, as mandated by the people."

The government also announced its intention to cooperate with the newly launched local governments regardless of the election results. President Lee said, "The government will sincerely honor the will of the people expressed in the local elections and actively cooperate with the newly elected local governments, regardless of their party affiliation. We will unite all citizens’ hearts and devote our full efforts to improving people’s lives and advancing the Republic of Korea."

When asked about the Blue House’s assessment of the local election results, Chief Spokesperson Kang stated, "Every election is an opportunity to hear the diverse voices of the people. The government will faithfully heed public sentiment and use it as an opportunity for stabilizing people’s livelihoods, economic growth, and national unity."

During the closed-door session, ways to further enhance cooperation between the central and local governments were also discussed. The Office of Political Affairs reported that, since the philosophy of state administration under the People’s Sovereignty Government is 'local-first,' the 9th popularly elected local governments should be regarded as partners in national administration, and the cooperative relationship between the central and local governments should be made more substantive.

Measures to simultaneously enhance local governments’ legislative autonomy and accountability were also discussed. President Lee urged local governments to actively utilize legislative tools such as ordinances, while also preparing measures to strengthen corresponding accountability. As information asymmetry between residents and local governments is cited as a cause of distrust in local autonomy, expansion of resident participation—such as through information disclosure requests—and the development of evaluation systems reflecting residents’ perspectives were also discussed.

Preparations for the launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City were also reported. President Lee directed that, since this would be the first integrated metropolitan area in the history of local autonomy, all necessary preparations must be carried out without fail to ensure the successful launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Marking the second year of the People’s Sovereignty Government, President Lee also called for public officials to accelerate state affairs. Chief Spokesperson Kang relayed, "President Lee announced that the second year of the People’s Sovereignty Government begins today and urged all public officials to make every effort to double the pace of state administration."

Disaster safety measures for the summer season were another major agenda item at the meeting. President Lee instructed that, with higher-than-average temperatures and heavy rainfall expected this summer, all potential risks—including heatwaves, flood damage, landslides, and retaining wall collapses—should be preemptively inspected. He especially called for strengthened pre-inspections of construction sites and aging public facilities, and stressed to relevant ministries the need to "respond with an abundance of caution" to matters concerning the lives and safety of the people.

The issue of rest rights for facility management workers was also addressed. President Lee noted that, although rest rights for facility management workers such as cleaners and security staff are legally guaranteed, implementation at worksites remains insufficient. He directed the central and local governments, as well as public institutions, to take the lead in improving this situation and also called for these efforts to be reflected in institutional evaluations.

The Blue House took a cautious stance on possible cabinet reshuffles or changes to the presidential staff following the local elections. Chief Spokesperson Kang stated, "No decisions have been made regarding a cabinet reshuffle or personnel changes. While we will thoroughly review all aspects of state affairs in light of the public sentiment expressed in the local election results and may make adjustments if necessary, no decisions on reshuffles or personnel changes have been made."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.