A scuffle broke out as protesters blocked a vehicle carrying a Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission official, who was leaving a senior citizens' center at the Jamsil Woosung Apartment complex in Songpa District after entering it. The center, where ballot boxes have remained sealed off, has been blocked by protesters who came to object after allegations arose that some voters were unable to cast ballots due to a shortage of ballot papers.
Kim Beom-jin, secretary general of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, visited the front of the senior citizens' center at the Jamsil Woosung Apartment complex, where Polling Station No. 2 of Jamsil 7-dong was set up. "There were some shortcomings in the election process," he said. "I apologize for causing concern to citizens." He continued, "The election winner must be confirmed before legal procedures related to the validity of the election can proceed. Only then can a judgment be made on whether there was election fraud."
But the protesters reacted fiercely. After Kim entered the polling station and came out, attempting to leave the scene, they blocked the front of his vehicle and shouted, "Go back." Some participants cut into his path, grabbing his collar or shoving him hard, creating a situation close to a physical altercation. Kim later left the scene with the cooperation of police and others.
That day, the front of the polling station was surrounded by citizens who had staged an overnight protest, vowing to prevent the ballot boxes from being removed. With both entrances blocked, access for election commission staff and other officials was effectively cut off. Some even laid down mats and sat in protest. The protesters clapped their hands and chanted slogans such as "Stop the count," "Nullify the election," "Disband the election commission," and "Roh Tae-ak, resign."
At the scene, voices alleging election fraud continued. A man surnamed Kim in his 70s raised his voice, saying, "The count here isn't even finished, but a victory announcement came out. No one should say 'I won' before the last vote is checked." A man surnamed Lee in his 30s said, "What we are claiming is one thing: that the people's right to vote was violated. They held a re-vote even during the Pohang earthquake. This too cannot just be passed over."
Those who had continued their sit-in since the previous night appeared unwilling to back down easily. A man surnamed A in his 60s said, "Yesterday I went to the Gwacheon election commission, and I've been holding out here since 10 p.m. We all made do with gimbap for meals." He said, "We don't know how long we'll stay. If they even block food from being brought in, won't the other side (the election commission) eventually throw in the towel too?" One man in his 20s said, "I couldn't sleep a wink because I was watching people confront each other all night." Cheers also erupted when Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Freedom and Innovation party, who had raised allegations of election fraud, appeared. During the night, lawmakers including Kim Jae-sup, Kim Eun-hye, and Shin Dong-wook of the People Power Party also visited the site, but the standoff was not resolved.
The Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission officially confirmed the end of voting at around 11:50 p.m. the previous day. However, the two ballot boxes remaining at the senior citizens' center have yet to be counted. The election commission's position is that it will not force their transport immediately, taking into account the possibility of physical conflict. The ballot boxes are estimated to contain about 2,000 ballots. At this location, an unprecedented situation occurred the previous day when voting was temporarily suspended due to a shortage of ballot papers. Afterward, the deadline was extended from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. only for voters who had received voter roll verification slips.
Police have deployed forces in preparation for clashes at the scene. Some riot units are maintaining a standby posture outside the apartment complex, considering citizen safety. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the forces deployed that day reached about 470 at one point at 3 a.m.
Meanwhile, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, recorded a 49.78% vote share as of 12:35 p.m. that day, based on a 98.98% count rate, defeating Democratic Party candidate Jung Won-oh, who received 48.21%, to all but secure his election. Although Jung issued a statement conceding the result, the count rate has remained unchanged for several hours because the ballot boxes have not been removed.
