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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Police remove ballot boxes amid protests over shortage; ruling party vows action

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korean police intervened to remove ballot boxes from a polling station amid protests over a ballot shortage.
  • A lawmaker from the ruling party described the situation as tactics used in authoritarian countries.
  • Protesters demanded a rerun of the election, while ruling party officials vowed to address the issues raised.

Police entered a polling station in Songpa District, Seoul, on Saturday morning to remove two ballot boxes that had been blocked by protesters for three days. The demonstrators were protesting a shortage of ballots during the 6.3 local elections, which had led to extended voting hours.

This is not an election that is incompetent or flawed. This is a tactic used in dictatorial countries like Venezuela under Maduro, where ballots were intentionally sent late to places with opposition supporters, forcing citizens to give up voting. This happened in broad daylight in South Korea.

— Kim Eun-hyeComparing the ballot shortage incident to tactics used in authoritarian regimes.

Around 1,000 riot police were deployed to the polling station in Jamsil 7-dong at approximately 8 a.m. to disperse the protesters. By 8:57 a.m., election commission staff were able to retrieve the ballot boxes, which had been held up since Thursday, and transport them to the counting center.

Kim Eun-hye, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party, arrived at the scene around 8 a.m. and listened to the protesters' demands. They called for the election to be invalidated and rerun, questioning the silence of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Representative Bae Hyun-jin on the matter. Kim responded by stating, "This is not an election that is incompetent or flawed. This is a tactic used in dictatorial countries like Venezuela under Maduro, where ballots were intentionally sent late to places with opposition supporters, forcing citizens to give up voting. This happened in broad daylight in South Korea."

If this is allowed to pass without consequence, democracy in this country will end. These young people risked their lives to protect it.

— Kim Eun-hyeExpressing her strong emotions about the election integrity issues.

Visibly emotional, Kim added, "If this is allowed to pass without consequence, democracy in this country will end. These young people risked their lives to protect it." She promised the protesters, "I will raise every issue at the party headquarters. This is just the beginning." She also nodded in agreement when a participant asked her to protect the arrested youths.

I will raise every issue at the party headquarters. This is just the beginning.

— Kim Eun-hyePromising action following the protests and ballot box removal.

Later, Kim moved to the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, the counting center, where she joined other People Power Party officials, including leader Jang Dong-hyuk and supreme council member Kim Min-soo. Jang addressed the crowd through a loudspeaker, demanding an explanation from the election commission and declaring, "We will fight to prevent the counting from being blocked. We will fight properly with you from now on." The protesters chanted calls for a new election.

We will fight to prevent the counting from being blocked. We will fight properly with you from now on.

— Jang Dong-hyukAddressing protesters and vowing to support their cause.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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