President Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday that he "expresses deep regret" over the ballot paper shortage that occurred during the June 3 local elections.
Speaking at a meeting of senior secretaries held at the Blue House that day, Lee said, "I'm told that residents in some areas of Seoul experienced great confusion and inconvenience yesterday due to a shortage of ballot papers." He added, "All state institutions have a duty to make thorough preparations so that there is not the slightest gap in the process of citizens exercising their sacred right to vote." He pointed out that "nonetheless, a hard-to-understand flaw occurred in election management, which should be more rigorous than anything else in a democratic republic."
Lee also indicated his intention to hold the National Election Commission and other relevant agencies accountable. "Relevant agencies must use all the authority and responsibility held by the executive branch to clearly identify the reason the problem occurred, and if there is anything to be held responsible for, accountability must be clearly demanded," Lee warned. The National Election Commission decided the previous day to establish a fact-finding committee composed mainly of outside experts to identify the cause of the ballot paper shortage that occurred in Seoul's Songpa and Gangnam districts, among others, and to prepare measures to prevent a recurrence.
Meanwhile, regarding the election results, Lee stressed, "I will humbly accept the will of the people and actively cooperate with newly elected local governments regardless of party affiliation." A cabinet reshuffle to reform state affairs is also expected to gain speed. With Prime Minister Kim Min-seok reported to be poised to express his intention to resign soon, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho is being prominently mentioned as the next prime minister. Some quarters have also raised the possibility of Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik being tapped for the post.
