South Korea's Democratic Party considers recount of 2.47 million ballots amid election fraud claims

South Korea's Democratic Party is actively exploring a recount and manual count of 2.47 million ballots stored at the Olympic Park handball gymnasium. This initiative stems from the ballot shortage crisis during the June 3 local elections and seeks to quell burgeoning claims of election fraud.

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We will actively consider the plan to pursue a recount and manual count of the 2.47 million ballots through bipartisan agreement in the special committee investigating the election issues.

Han Byung-do, the acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, stated that a recount and manual count of the ballots would be actively considered through bipartisan agreement within the special committee investigating the election issues. "If a recount is necessary, the Democratic Party's position is to proceed, and we anticipate smooth discussions with the People Power Party," said Kim Sung-hwan, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson.

The proposed recount is expected to proceed after internal party coordination and agreement between the floor leaders of both parties in the special committee. The Olympic Park counting center, currently under protest, holds approximately 2.47 million ballots, including 370,000 for the Seoul mayoral election and 250,000 for the Songpa District Council. The National Election Commission has outlined a plan for a comprehensive recount, involving 440 personnel over nine hours, to verify the integrity of the ballots against the original count.

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If a recount is necessary, the Democratic Party's position is to proceed, and we anticipate smooth discussions with the People Power Party.

The commission estimates the recount will cost around 50 million won. The verification process will include a visual inspection of ballots, a count of votes per candidate using a counting machine, and a comparison with the official tally. Security measures at the Olympic Park facility, including CCTV blind spots and the lack of internal office cameras, have also come under scrutiny. The special committee plans to hold hearings on July 14 and 22 to further investigate the ballot shortage and the election commission's response.

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The purpose of the verification is to prove the integrity of the ballots stored in Olympic Park, ensuring they are the same as those used on election day.