People Power Party Continues 'Ballot Paper Offensive'...Demands Special Prosecutor and Other Measures

Supreme Council Convened Over the Weekend: "We Will Fight Together"

Sit-in at Vote Counting Centers Called a "Democratic Protest"

The People Power Party continued its offensive against the ruling party on June 6, a weekend, demanding the introduction of a special prosecutor and other measures in response to the ballot paper shortage that occurred during the June 3 local elections. The party called it "a grave act of destroying liberal democracy that has deprived the people of their right to vote."

Yonhap News

Party leader Jang Donghyeok convened a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly that day, stating, "The ballot paper shortage is a grave act of destroying liberal democracy that has deprived the people of their right to vote," and called for the introduction of a special prosecutor. He added, "Even at this very moment, thousands of young people are gathering at Jamsil Olympic Park, demanding a re-election. What they are trying to protect is just one thing: the liberal democracy of the Republic of Korea."

Jang continued, "How can their democratic protest be called a disturbance? Even if the media turns a blind eye and this administration blocks its eyes and ears, we must not ignore them as well. I will risk my life to fight alongside the youth," he declared.

Supreme Council member Shin Dongwook also said, "The ballot paper shortage is not a matter of victory or defeat for either party, but a serious incident that shakes the very foundation of democracy." He criticized, "Where are President Lee Jaemyung and the Democratic Party, who have previously been so diligent in questioning any issue related to their own interests, now?"

Supreme Council member Kim Minsu stated, "The voting rights of the Korean people have been taken away, and democracy has collapsed." He added, "If Democratic Party lawmakers have truly fought for democracy in Korea, now is the time for them to speak up as well." The previous day, he attended the Jamsil protest and said, "Let us go to the Blue House instead of staying here. I have already filed a rally notification for 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Blue House."

Supreme Council member Jo Gwanghan said, "In constituencies where voting took place after 6 p.m. due to the shortage of ballot papers, the election is fundamentally tainted." He argued, "Since there is a possibility that this constitutes a violation of election law and could be considered election fraud, we need to seriously discuss whether a re-election is necessary."

However, the People Power Party is drawing a line against an official stance in favor of a re-election. After the Supreme Council meeting, chief spokesperson Park Seonghun told reporters that "there has been no official discussion" regarding lawsuits to invalidate the election or to seek a re-election. "It is an issue that should be decided after fully listening to the opinions of lawmakers and party members through a general meeting of lawmakers and other channels," he said. Regarding the possibility of a rally in front of the Blue House, he added, "As far as I know, there are no plans at the party level to attend a rally in front of the Blue House."

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