'Ballot Paper Shortage' Complaint Case Assigned to Seoul Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit

Investigation Launched into Election Commission Officials

on Allegations of Neglect of Duty and Abuse of Authority

The case filed by a civic group regarding the suspension of voting at 14 polling stations in Seoul due to a shortage of ballot papers on the day of the 9th nationwide local elections has been assigned to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit.

On June 4, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had assigned the case, in which the People’s Livelihood Countermeasures Committee accused the Chairperson of the National Election Commission and others of neglect of duty and abuse of authority, to the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit. The agency plans to proceed with necessary procedures such as questioning the complainants.

On the 4th, an unopened ballot box from the Jamsil 7-dong No. 1 polling station was placed at the ballot counting center set up at the Handball Stadium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

The People’s Livelihood Countermeasures Committee filed a complaint with the police after ballot paper shortages at Jamsil 7-dong Precinct 2 polling station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, led to a delayed closing time and growing public backlash. The complaint was filed against the election commission chairperson and secretary-general, the chairperson and secretary-general of the Seoul Election Commission, and the chairperson and secretary-general of the Songpa-gu Election Commission. In its complaint, the committee urged an investigation, stating, "The shortage of ballot papers infringed upon voters' right to vote," and "Those responsible for election management seriously neglected their supervisory duties."

According to the National Election Commission, as of 6:20 p.m. on the previous day, voting was temporarily suspended at 14 polling stations due to a shortage of ballot papers, including 12 in Songpa-gu, one in Gangnam-gu, and one in Gwangjin-gu.

The National Election Commission plans to establish and operate a fact-finding committee composed mainly of external experts. Previously, Secretary-General Heo Cheol-hoon of the commission issued a public apology, stating, "We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to citizens who visited polling stations to exercise their precious right to vote and for undermining public trust in the fair management of elections. We fully accept responsibility for these issues."

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