Police investigating the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections have completed questioning of citizens who were unable to vote, it was confirmed. Investigators also launched a full-scale probe Sunday morning by questioning the complainant who had filed charges against the National Election Commission.
The Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Sunday, "Police have so far secured chat rooms used by election workers and questioned public officials mobilized for election affairs as well as citizens who could not vote due to the ballot shortage." The unit added, "We have also questioned the printing companies."
On Sunday morning, police summoned and questioned Kim Soon-hwan, secretary-general of the People's Livelihood Measures Committee, a civic group that filed complaints against No Tae-ak, chairman of the National Election Commission, and other commission officials on charges including dereliction of duty. Appearing at Seoul's Gangdong Police Station, where the investigation unit is located, Kim said, "Chairman No's term originally ran through March this year, so claiming the matter is settled with his resignation from the chairmanship is deceiving the public."
Police and prosecutors plan to form a joint investigation headquarters to probe the incident. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said the previous day, "We will swiftly form a joint police-prosecution investigation headquarters regarding the matter that disrupted citizens' exercise of their voting rights during the June 3 local elections." It added, "Through close cooperation with police, we will conduct an efficient investigation to rigorously clarify the public's suspicions surrounding this incident."
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung said through his social networking service (SNS), "The National Election Commission caused enormous disruption to citizens' exercise of their voting rights during the June 3 local elections." He added, "The incident itself is hard to understand, but the subsequent response and explanation to the public were also insufficient." He continued, "Citizens' voting rights are a constitutional right that must not be restricted or infringed upon for any reason, and this incident is a grave matter that has undermined the foundation of popular sovereignty." He added, "I have ordered the formation of a joint investigation headquarters involving prosecutors and police to clearly determine responsibility and thoroughly uncover the full scope of the case."
