Seoul: Two election officials who oversaw polling stations affected by ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections were questioned by investigators on Thursday, as confirmed by legal sources.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a joint police and prosecution team summoned the Songpa District Election Commission officials to understand more about the internal instructions of the election watchdog in response to the shortages. The investigation is focusing on allegations that the National Election Commission (NEC) made a hasty decision to reduce the number of printed ballots and failed to manage the ballot shortages effectively on election day.
The team is also preparing to question nine local government officials responsible for distributing ballots at polling stations in Seoul where ballot papers ran out. These officials will be asked about the election watchdog's strategies in dealing with the shortages. This questioning session follows a raid conducted by the joint investigation team a day earlier on the offices of 12 election commission officials in charge of polling stations in Seoul that experienced ballot shortages.
Meanwhile, a protest calling for a rerun of the elections has been ongoing outside the Olympic Park Handball Stadium in southern Seoul. Thursday marked the 21st consecutive day of the protest, which has blocked access to the stadium since June 5 to prevent the removal of ballot boxes stored inside. This prolonged blockade has disrupted the activities of sports organizations based at the stadium. In response, the culture ministry officially requested the NEC on Thursday to remove election-related items from the site to allow the resumption of normal operations.
An NEC official stated that efforts are being made to remove the items, and the NEC has already sought cooperation from the police and the interior ministry. However, the police have been cautious about forcibly entering the site due to potential safety concerns. Yoo Jae-seong, acting chief of the National Police Agency, emphasized the importance of achieving "social consensus" before removing the ballot boxes from the stadium.