Key facts
- South Korea's National Election Commission (NEC) has established a fact-finding committee to investigate ballot shortages.
- The committee's inaugural meeting was held on Wednesday.
- The investigation stems from a shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections in Seoul.
- Some voters were unable to cast their ballots due to the shortage.
- The NEC has apologized for the confusion and inconvenience caused.
South Korea's National Election Commission (NEC) has initiated a formal investigation into ballot shortages that occurred during last week's local elections. A newly formed fact-finding committee, comprising external experts, convened for its first meeting on Wednesday to address the unprecedented incident.
The commission has issued a public apology for the significant confusion and inconvenience caused to voters, acknowledging that prepared ballot papers ran out at some polling stations in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 3, preventing some citizens from exercising their right to vote. This shortage led to allegations of election fraud and demands for a re-vote, consequently delaying the confirmation of election results in the affected districts.
The fact-finding committee plans to meticulously analyze voting records from the affected polling stations and verify the on-site situation with voting managers and staff. The NEC has pledged to conduct an objective and accurate investigation and to transparently disclose all findings once the problems, their causes, and any resulting responsibilities are identified. Measures to prevent a recurrence of the issue are also being prepared.