Key facts
- Investigators will question civil servants regarding ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections.
- Eight individuals are scheduled to appear before a joint police and prosecution team.
- The investigation targets temporary voting suspensions at 26 polling stations nationwide.
- The National Election Commission was raided on June 11 as part of the probe.
- Protests demanding an election rerun have persisted for 18 consecutive days.
Investigators were scheduled to question civil servants on Monday who worked at polling stations that experienced ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections, according to legal sources. Eight individuals have been summoned to appear before a joint police and prosecution team investigating the shortages that led to temporary voting suspensions at 26 polling stations across the country. The civil servants in question reportedly managed two polling stations in Seoul where ballot papers ran out. Investigators intend to question them about the election watchdog's response to the shortages at the time. This action follows a raid on the National Election Commission's headquarters on June 11 as part of the ongoing investigation. The ballot shortages have drawn significant public criticism, fueling continued protests outside a ballot counting center in southern Seoul, with some demonstrators calling for a rerun of the elections. Protests at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium have been ongoing for 18 consecutive days as of Monday, with participants blocking entrances to prevent the removal of ballot boxes. The National Election Commission has issued an apology for the shortages but maintains they do not warrant an election rerun under current law.