The presidential office on Wednesday distanced itself from calls for the National Election Commission to take responsibility and demands for a revote following a ballot shortage in parts of Seoul, saying it is "an issue for the NEC to address."
A presidential office official made the remarks Wednesday night when asked about the administration's stance on the ballot shortage. The response is interpreted as reflecting the view that, since the NEC is a constitutionally independent body, it would be inappropriate for the president — head of the executive branch — or executive agencies to take direct action against the commission.
Controversy has spread after voting continued past the official closing time at some polling stations, mainly in Seoul, due to ballot shortages. Heo Cheol-hoon, secretary general of the National Election Commission, held a public apology press conference at the NEC's Gwacheon office in Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday, saying, "I deeply apologize and feel a heavy sense of responsibility for inconveniencing citizens who came to polling stations to exercise their precious sovereign right and for damaging public trust in fair election management." He added, "The NEC takes this matter seriously, and as soon as ballot counting concludes, we will accurately identify the causes and problems behind the ballot shortages at some polling stations and prepare measures to prevent recurrence."
According to the NEC, ballot shortages occurred at a total of 14 polling stations as of 6:20 p.m. Wednesday — 12 in Songpa-gu and one each in Gangnam and Gwangjin. The People Power Party reacted strongly, calling for a halt to vote counting in the Seoul mayoral election and a rerun. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, dismissed such demands as "not worth considering."
