Reform New Party Proposes 'Selective Re-elections'... Begins Filing for Partial Invalidation of Seoul Elections

Kim Jungcheol Submits Evidence Preservation Request to Court

Cheon Haram, floor leader of the Reform New Party, stated on June 8 that the ballot shortage incident that emerged during the 9th nationwide local elections must be rectified through a "selective re-election."

Cheon Haram, floor leader of the Reform New Party, is urging the implementation of a 'selective re-election' while explaining the report received from Kang Dongwan, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Election Commission, regarding the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 8th. Photo by Yonhap News

At a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office that day, floor leader Cheon said, "This ballot shortage incident is a clear violation of the citizens' right to vote, which is guaranteed by the Constitution," adding, "The Reform New Party believes that a selective re-election held only at the polling stations where it is clear that a shortage of ballots resulted in the infringement of voting rights is the proper solution."

Cheon further explained, "Today, Kang Dongwan, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Election Commission, who reported to the Reform New Party on this incident, clarified that appeals and lawsuits are stipulated by law as applicable 'in cases where there is an objection to the validity of the election.' He also confirmed that an appeal or lawsuit can be filed regarding the ballot shortage incident."

He continued, "The Reform New Party will immediately begin filing appeals for partial annulment of the Seoul elections affected by the ballot shortage. We urge all parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party, to stop making claims that distract from the core issue and instead join us in filing appeals for partial annulment of the election."

The Reform New Party plans to focus its appeal this week on 22 polling stations (according to the National Election Commission's announcement on June 5) where voting was disrupted due to a shortage of ballots on Election Day. The party also left open the possibility of filing additional appeals, as the number of problematic polling stations could increase depending on the outcome of further investigations.

Cheon pointed out, "Under the Public Official Election Act, an appeal must be filed first in order to proceed with litigation. If the National Election Commission accepts the appeal and decides to hold a partial re-election, the issue will be resolved quickly. If not, we are prepared to file a lawsuit seeking annulment of the election."

Meanwhile, Kim Jeongcheol, who ran as the Reform New Party's candidate for Seoul mayor in this election, visited the Seoul Eastern District Court that afternoon and submitted an “application for preservation of evidence for fact-finding regarding the shortage of election ballots.” Candidate Kim stated, "I thought it was important to secure objective evidence as soon as possible, so I submitted the application first."

Candidate Kim also noted, "Now, an election appeal can be filed within 14 days," adding, "I plan to file an election appeal in my capacity as a candidate." He further explained, "I believe holding a re-election in some constituencies in Songpa District, where problems occurred, is the only way to resolve the suspicions."

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