"Democracy Has Stopped": University Student Councils Take Action... Condemnation Spreads Over 'Ballot Shortage' Incident

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\r\n[Financial News] The fallout from the ballot shortage that occurred at some polling stations in Seoul on the main voting day of the June 3 local elections is spreading to university campuses. Moving beyond individual students posting protest placards, major university student councils have begun issuing statements one after another, urging the NEC to provide a responsible explanation and draw up measures to prevent a recurrence. Some universities are even deciding to attend press conferences, escalating their collective response.
However, the universities asked that the statements not be interpreted as aligning with any particular faction or political camp, so as to avoid becoming entangled in political disputes.
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According to educational institutions and political circles on the 5th, student self-governing bodies at major universities, including SNU, KU, and Sogang University, have decided to issue statements in succession. Some universities are also moving to participate in press conferences as student councils.
That day, the joint council of college student council presidents at SNU held two emergency meetings and voted to issue a statement condemning the ballot shortage incident, which it then released online.
In the published statement, the council stressed, "Elections are the 'flower of democracy,' and in Korea's history, that flower grew while drinking blood." It added, "On the sacrifices of Park Jong-cheol and countless other democratic martyrs, the flower of democracy bloomed on this land frozen by military dictatorship."
It also strongly criticized the NEC's explanation.
The council asked, "Have you forgotten the precious value of elections, the 'flower of democracy'?" It then said, "The ballot shortage incident instead hindered citizens' willingness to vote, even though the NEC bears the duty to guarantee voting rights."
It also pointed out that citing the low voter turnout in the local elections as a reason for the ballot shortage was problematic.
The council also made three demands of the NEC.
It argued, "The circumstances and causes of the ballot shortage incident must be thoroughly and transparently investigated, and those responsible for damaging trust in the election process must be held accountable." It added, "Finally, this incident should serve as a lesson, prompting a full review of election preparation procedures and effective measures to prevent a recurrence."
Sogang University Student Council and Sungkyunkwan University also posted their statements online and decided to put up printed protest placards on campus. KU is issuing statements by college.
In particular, the student councils of KU and Sogang University decided to attend a press conference hosted by the Korean University Student Council Joint Forum.
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The Korean University Student Council Joint Forum is a coalition of student councils from major private universities in Seoul. It also held a press conference last year during the state of emergency crisis to condemn former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Across university campuses, the incident is increasingly being viewed not as a simple administrative error but as an infringement on voting rights, a basic right of the people. Protest placards written by students have been posted throughout campus communities and various parts of campus, and there have been continued calls for student councils to issue official positions.
Some universities have already issued statements.
Kyung Hee University Student Council released a statement late the previous night titled, "We Condemn the NEC's Violation of Voting Rights and Election Mismanagement." It said, "We will not stand by while the NEC tries to downplay and cover up the situation, ignoring the anger of young people whose sovereignty has been stolen."
HUFS Student Council also criticized the situation, saying, "Elections are the essence of democracy and the most fundamental process for realizing sovereignty." It added, "The election management body, which should protect democracy, instead shook the procedural foundation of representative democracy."
The University of Seoul Student Council urged the NEC to review appropriate remedies under relevant laws if its investigation confirms the possibility of a violation of voting rights.
They also commonly demanded transparent disclosure of information, a fact-finding investigation, accountability, and measures to prevent a recurrence.
What stands out is that demands for a rerun election, raised by the People Power Party and others, were not included in most university statements. It is understood that differing views within university circles over whether a rerun election is necessary, as well as concerns that such demands could be seen as conspiracy theories about election fraud, influenced that decision.
Meanwhile, according to the NEC, voting was temporarily suspended on the 3rd at 12 polling stations in Songpa District and one polling station each in Gangnam District and Gwangjin District in Seoul because of a shortage of ballots. The NEC later supplied additional ballots and extended voting hours, but criticism continues that this was an unprecedented incident in a nationwide election.
The NEC is currently maintaining that the ballot shortage does not constitute grounds for invalidating the election or holding a rerun.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter