Protests over ballot shortages continue for 9th day

A protest demanding a rerun of last week's local elections, which were marred by ballot shortages, continued for the ninth day on Saturday morning, though the number of participants decreased sharply compared to the previous night.

About 700 protesters were chanting slogans and waving national flags around SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in the Jamsil neighborhood of Songpa District, southern Seoul, as of 9 a.m., down from the 8,000 gathered there on Friday night.

Unprecedented ballot shortages in the June 3 mayoral and gubernatorial elections sparked nationwide protests. According to the National Election Commission (NEC), the shortage led to voting being temporarily suspended at 26 polling stations in the country, with some people reportedly deciding to return home without voting.

The protest in Jamsil had grown to approximately 30,000 people, many of them in their 20s and 30s, last weekend, but that number has gradually decreased, with many older people replacing younger ones at weekday rallies.

The NEC apologized and acknowledged that it failed to print enough ballots because it did not accurately predict voter turnout. However, it maintained that the shortages neither warrant a rerun nor alter the election results.

Besides ballot shortages, NEC officials were found to have made other mistakes, including incorrectly entering candidates' vote counts into the computer network in some districts, further damaging the NEC's image — already sullied by ethical lapses, such as the nepotistic hiring of relatives — and fueling calls for its dismantlement.

The NEC is an independent constitutional organization and is not subject to any outside audit, a measure originally intended to shield the agency from political influence. But critics say that the problems within the agency have worsened due to such privileges.

President Lee Jae Myung has promised a thorough probe into the matter and measures to overhaul the election watchdog.

A joint investigation team of the prosecution and police has banned former NEC Chairperson Roh Tae-ak from leaving the country.

Also on Saturday, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, the leader of the main opposition People Power Party, proposed a meeting with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae to discuss an election rerun and a special counsel investigation.

"Let's meet even today," Jang said in a social media post. "Whatever format is fine. A three-way meeting also works."

Yonhap