Lee orders thorough investigation into ballot shortage

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday ordered the launch of a thorough joint investigation by prosecutors and police into ballot shortages that disrupted last week's local elections.

“The people’s right to vote is 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,” Lee wrote in a Facebook message Sunday.

“The National Election Commission caused immense disruption to the people’s exercise of their right to vote during the June 3 local elections,” he added. “The incident itself is difficult to understand, but the subsequent response and explanation to the public were also insufficient.”

A dozen locations in Seoul, including the eastern Songpa district, reported ballot shortages during Wednesday's elections, prompting the temporary suspension of voting at affected polling stations.

Thousands of protesters continued rallying near a vote-counting facility in eastern Seoul for a third consecutive day, demanding a new election.

Yonhap