Cheong Wa Dae, the Presidential Office, said Wednesday it is "closely monitoring the series of developments" after a ballot paper shortage in parts of Seoul triggered calls for the National Election Commission (NEC) to take responsibility and demands for a revote.
"As a constitutional body that guarantees the people's right to political participation, the National Election Commission should take responsible action to ensure there are no disruptions in the exercise of voting rights and the management of ballot counting in some areas," the Presidential Office said in a statement to the press.
Earlier, controversy spread as voting continued past the official closing time at some polling stations, mainly in Seoul, due to ballot paper shortages. Heo Chul-hoon, secretary general of the National Election Commission, held a public apology press conference at the NEC's Gwacheon headquarters in Gyeonggi Province on the same day. "I deeply apologize and feel a strong sense of responsibility for inconveniencing citizens who came to polling stations to exercise their precious sovereignty, and for damaging public trust in fair election management," he said. He added, "The commission takes this matter seriously, and as soon as the ballot counting is completed, we will accurately identify the causes and problems behind the ballot shortages at some polling stations and prepare measures to prevent a recurrence."
According to the NEC, the number of polling stations affected by ballot paper shortages stood at 14 as of 6:20 p.m. The shortages were identified at 12 polling stations in Songpa District, and one each in Gangnam and Gwangjin districts. The People Power Party strongly protested, calling for a halt to the ballot counting in the Seoul mayoral election and a revote. The Democratic Party of Korea, on the other hand, drew a line, saying the demand was "not worth considering."
