Nine summoned in South Korea over ballot shortage during local elections

South Korea's joint investigation team has summoned nine people, including a ballot printing company representative and officials from various district election commissions, as part of its inquiry into a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.

The investigation, led by Deputy Prosecutor General Kim Tae-hoon, is focusing on understanding the sequence of events that led to the insufficient number of ballots. The printing company representative is being questioned as a witness regarding the ballot printing process.

Officials summoned include representatives from the election commissions of Songpa, Gangnam, Gwanak, Seodaemun, Gangseo, Jungnang, and Mapo districts, along with a member of the Seocho District Election Commission. Investigators are expected to inquire about when the ballot shortage began and the extent of communication between local election offices and higher authorities, such as the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission and the National Election Commission.

Authorities are also looking into whether the involved parties were aware of the potential for a ballot shortage and if they failed to adhere to relevant response guidelines. The investigation follows extensive searches conducted last month at the National Election Commission, the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, and several district election commissions.