Key facts
- Roh Tae-ak, head of South Korea's National Election Commission, resigned.
- Ballot papers ran out at 50 polling stations and were delayed at 22 others.
- Over 6,000 people protested, demanding a re-run of the election.
- An independent panel will investigate the cause of the shortage.
- Ballot papers were printed for only 73% of eligible voters for the three days of voting.
Roh Tae-ak, the head of South Korea's National Election Commission (NEC), announced his resignation to take responsibility for a significant shortage of ballot papers during recent local elections. The incident disrupted voting, with 50 polling stations running out of papers and an additional 22 experiencing delays in receiving supplies. This failure to safeguard democratic rights led to public outcry and distrust. Over 6,000 people protested at a vote-counting center, demanding a re-run of the election. Roh stated there was no excuse for the mishap and that an independent panel of outside experts would investigate the cause, with consequences to follow. Ballot papers were printed for only 73% of eligible voters for the three days of voting, despite an early voting turnout that led to a final overall turnout of 63%. Protesters gathered at the SK Olympic Handball Stadium, chanting and bearing placards with the slogan "Re-run!". At some locations, voters waited for hours into the night after polls officially closed, and at one polling station in Seoul's Songpa district, an angry crowd prevented officials from taking ballot boxes to the stadium. Roh, a Supreme Court justice, said outside experts would be asked to investigate and he would accept the panel's conclusions.