The People Power Party (PPP) said it "will not stand by and will hold those responsible to the very end" after a ballot paper shortage occurred at some polling stations in Seoul during the June 3 local elections.
Jeong Hee-yong, head of the party's election campaign committee, held an emergency press briefing at the central party headquarters' vote-counting situation room in Yeouido on Tuesday and called it "a shocking incident that should never happen, and could never happen, at a polling site in the Republic of Korea in 2026." He added, "We cannot shake the suspicion that this happened because they grew nervous as voter turnout rose."
"The National Election Commission exists to ensure fair and transparent election management, yet the fact that voters were unable to cast their ballots due to a shortage of ballot papers on election day goes beyond simple lack of preparation — it is a deplorable abandonment of duty, and we cannot help but lament it," Jeong said. He continued, "Swift measures must be taken to ensure that citizens who were unable to exercise their right to vote can do so, and the cause of this incident must be clearly explained to the public. We urge voters to cast their ballots to the end despite the inconvenience. Pass judgment with your vote."
Song Eon-seok, co-chair of the election campaign committee, also issued an emergency statement, saying, "As soon as the election is over, we will immediately push for an investigation into this incident and will hold those responsible accountable." Song said, "Transport the ballots quickly. What on earth is going on?" adding, "We strongly urge the National Election Commission to guarantee voting rights so that citizens who have waited can cast their ballots, even past 6 p.m."
Bae Hyun-jin, chair of the party's Seoul chapter, also held a press conference at the National Assembly, decrying that "the ballot shortage is not a matter of simple error but evidence that the basic system of election management has collapsed, shaking the foundations of democracy." She added, "The National Election Commission has issued a position on this incident as if it were nothing, claiming the shortage was due to a sudden increase in voter turnout. We will pursue this to the end to verify the National Election Commission's failures in election management that infringed on citizens' sovereign rights, and to prevent recurrence and hold those responsible accountable."
According to the Seoul chapter's own findings, as of 6 p.m. that day, ballot paper shortages occurred at a total of 12 polling stations: Polling Station No. 4 in Munjeong 1-dong, Polling Station No. 2 in Munjeong 2-dong, Polling Station No. 6 in Jamsil 2-dong, Polling Station No. 2 in Jamsil 7-dong, Polling Station No. 5 in Jamsil 4-dong, Polling Stations No. 3 and No. 7 in Garak 2-dong, and Polling Station No. 5 in Wirye-dong, all in Songpa District; Polling Station No. 4 in Cheongdam-dong and Polling Station No. 2 in Gaepo 2-dong in Gangnam District; Polling Station No. 6 in Guui 3-dong in Gwangjin District; and Polling Station No. 7 in Noryangjin 1-dong in Dongjak District.
The camp of Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon also strongly protested. Cho Eun-hee, chief of staff for Oh's campaign committee, wrote on Facebook, "Infringing on voters' right to political participation in this manner can never be tolerated," urging that "every available means be mobilized to ensure that citizens can vote immediately."
