'Jamsil 7-dong Ballot Boxes' Removed After 35 Hours... Protesters Fiercely Resist

Ballot Boxes Containing 2,000 Votes Must Be Counted Before Results Are Finalized
1,000 Riot Police Deployed to Disperse Protesters

The police deployed a mobile unit to Voting Station No. 2 in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, where protesters had gathered due to a shortage of ballot papers during the 9th Nationwide Local Elections, and removed the two remaining ballot boxes. This took place about 35 hours after voting had ended. The legal confirmation of the election results for candidates such as Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon can only be finalized once the ballots in these boxes have been counted.

At around 8:54 a.m. on the 5th, the police removed the two ballot boxes that had remained at Voting Station No. 2 in Jamsil 7-dong and transported them to the counting center. The National Election Commission estimates that approximately 2,000 ballots are contained in these boxes. From 7:30 a.m. that day, the police deployed about 1,000 officers from 18 mobile units to confront protesters who were blocking the removal of the ballot boxes.

On the 5th, at Voting Station 2 in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, after the police dispersed the protesters, the ballot boxes were transported to the counting center. Photo by Yonhap News

A police official stated, "We received a formal request for cooperation from the Seoul City Election Commission to maintain order at the site during the ballot box transfer," and further announced, "Anyone who assaults, threatens, or detains those engaged in election duties, or damages election management facilities or equipment such as ballot papers, may be punished under Article 224 of the Public Official Election Act."

The police repeatedly ordered the protesters to disperse, adding, "Acts that cause serious noise, disrupt passage, and create inconvenience are causing significant harm to residents," and warned, "Anyone who pushes or assaults police officers may be punished under Article 126 of the Criminal Act."

Despite repeated calls for dispersal, as the protesters continued to gather, various physical altercations occurred at the rear entrance of the polling station. Conservative YouTubers and other protesters, along with citizens, placed dozens of plastic chairs in front of the senior center where the polling station was set up to block the removal of the ballot boxes. Signs saying "Rigged Election" and "Dissolve the Election Commission" were posted throughout the site, and when police began to take control, protesters sang the national anthem in defiance.

When the police began a full-scale effort to disperse the crowd, protesters formed a scrum and lay down on the ground in strong resistance. Some shouted, "Show us a warrant." After issuing another dispersal order, the police physically removed the protesters one by one. Under police control, election commission staff were finally able to remove the ballot boxes.

On the 5th, in front of the polling station No. 2 in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, the police are dispersing protesters who blocked the transport of ballot boxes. Photo by Yonhap News.

This polling station is one of 14 in Seoul that experienced a shortage of ballot papers. Residents who could not vote by 6 p.m. on the 3rd were given waiting numbers, and voting continued until 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, as protesters blockaded the polling station, an election worker was taken to the hospital. At 8:35 p.m. the previous day, emergency responders entered the polling station and transported an election worker identified as Mr. A to the hospital. A fire official explained, "We responded to a report that there was a person who was ill and showing signs of physical exhaustion." However, the protesters insisted on searching the worker's bag, claiming the person could be smuggling ballots out in secret.

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