Key facts
- The South Korean government and ruling party will sternly respond to illegal acts by protesters demanding a rerun of local elections.
- Protests stem from ballot shortages that disrupted voting at 26 polling stations on June 3.
- President Lee Jae Myung has directed police to investigate protesters who block civilians.
- The ruling Democratic Party spokesperson emphasized that violent actions are unacceptable.
- A public debate was held to discuss reforms for the national election watchdog.
- A recent survey shows divided public opinion on whether a rerun election is necessary.
The South Korean government and the ruling Democratic Party have declared a firm stance against any illegal activities by protesters demanding a rerun of the June 3 local elections. The elections were significantly disrupted by an unprecedented shortage of ballots, leading to the suspension of voting at 26 polling stations.
President Lee Jae Myung has instructed the police to conduct thorough investigations into protesters who obstruct civilians, emphasizing the need to differentiate between expressing opinions and infringing upon the rights of others. Echoing this sentiment, Democratic Party spokesperson Park Hae-cheol stated that violent actions observed at some protest sites would not be tolerated, labeling them as illegal acts exceeding freedom of expression.
Concurrently, the government is exploring reforms for the national election watchdog, with the Office for Government Policy Coordination hosting a public debate to gather input from young people and experts. Meanwhile, public opinion on a potential election rerun is divided, with a recent survey indicating that 51% of respondents consider a rerun excessive due to costs and potential social confusion, while 45.6% believe it should proceed. The survey was conducted by Realmeter for EKN among 1,011 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.