Key facts
- Roh Tae-ak, head of South Korea's National Election Commission, resigned.
South Korea's National Election Commission head Roh Tae-ak resigned after a ballot paper shortage disrupted local elections. Over 6,000 protesters demanded a re-run, citing insufficient papers for 73% of eligible voters. An independent panel will investigate.
The ballot shortage and subsequent resignation of the election chief undermine public trust in the electoral process and raise questions about the integrity of the recent local elections.
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.
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