"Don’t Move the Ballot Boxes" Protest in Jamsil 7-dong Shows Signs of Escalation... Police Deployed

\r\n[Financial News] As tensions escalated over the removal of ballot boxes at a polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa District, Seoul, where a shortage of ballots occurred during the June 3 local elections, dozens of police officers were dispatched to the scene. Right-wing YouTubers and citizens blocking the removal of the ballot boxes raised their voices, chanting "election fraud."
According to police on the 4th, dozens of officers were deployed around the polling station at around 12:30 a.m. that day after resistance from citizens and YouTubers blocking the removal of the ballot boxes appeared likely to intensify at the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station in Songpa District. The Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission had reportedly asked police for cooperation in removing the ballot boxes.
More than 300 citizens, including YouTubers, confronted election officials, insisting that ballot boxes must not be taken out of the polling station. Some shouted slogans such as "election fraud" and "the election is null and void from the outset," while waving the Taegeukgi and the Stars and Stripes.
The Citizens’ Livelihood Measures Committee (S-Minwi) filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency late the previous night against National Election Commission Chairperson Rho Tae-ak, Secretary General Heo Cheol-hoon, Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission Chairperson Oh Min-seok, Secretariat Director Kim Beom-jin, Songpa-gu Election Commission Chairperson Min So-young, and office chief Jo Si-hoon on charges of abuse of authority and neglect of duty.
In its complaint, S-Minwi argued that "depriving people of their right to vote is an atrocity that shakes and destroys the foundation of liberal democracy," and said, "Vote counting should be suspended until the problem is resolved, and a parliamentary audit should be held."
Earlier, an unprecedented situation unfolded at 14 polling stations in Songpa and Gangnam districts in Seoul, where a shortage of ballots forced voters to wait for long periods and protest. In response, some polling stations extended voting hours from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for voters who had received waiting tickets.
As the situation spread, the election commission issued a formal apology. Heo Cheol-hoon, secretary general of the National Election Commission, delivered a public apology at the NEC in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on the evening of the same day, saying, "We have caused great confusion and concern among the public," and "We deeply regret causing inconvenience to citizens who came to polling stations to exercise their precious sovereignty, and undermining public trust in fair election management."
The NEC said it had sent additional ballots to polling stations facing shortages and taken steps to ensure that voters still waiting after the closing time could cast their ballots normally. In Songpa District, it explained, only about 50% of the total number of eligible voters’ ballots for in-person voting had been printed, taking early voting turnout into account, but the unexpectedly high turnout on election day caused the prepared ballots to run out at some polling stations. The commission said it would identify the cause of the shortage and the problems involved as soon as vote counting ends, and prepare measures to prevent a recurrence.
yesji@fnnews.com Kim Ye-ji Reporter