South Korean parties clash over election re-run demands amid ballot paper shortage

A faction within South Korea's Democratic Party has criticized People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk's demand for a nationwide re-election, deeming it "unreasonable." They advocate for new elections to be held solely in the specific districts affected by ballot paper shortages during the recent local elections.

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The call for a nationwide re-election by People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk is unreasonable.

Jang Dong-hyuk had asserted that re-elections should encompass all constituencies, including those where People Power Party candidates were declared winners. In response, Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee dismissed Jang's proposal on Facebook, suggesting that only the problematic areas should hold new elections. Another Democratic Party member, Park Sun-won, echoed this sentiment, stating on Facebook that re-elections are necessary for districts where ballot paper issues arose. Park also emphasized the Central Election Management Committee's responsibility to ensure re-elections, given that the required number of ballots could have been predicted days in advance based on early voting data.

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Only the areas where the ballot paper was a problem should have re-elections.

This call for re-elections marks the first public demand from the Democratic Party since the June 3rd local elections. Previously, on June 3rd, Democratic Party Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae had dismissed the People Power Party's demands for a halt to vote counting and re-elections as "not worth considering."

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The Central Election Management Committee, which failed to supply enough ballot papers despite being able to estimate needs days in advance based on early voting, must take responsibility and guarantee re-elections.

Political observers noted that the area most affected by the ballot paper shortage was Seoul, where the People Power Party secured a victory in the mayoral election. They questioned whether Jang Dong-hyuk would genuinely push for a re-election in Seoul, suggesting his call might be unrealistic. The Democratic Party leadership has also publicly stated its lack of discussion on the matter. Senior spokesperson Kang Jun-hyun clarified that the party has not considered re-elections and questioned whether Jang's demand was personal or official, implying it might be a solo statement. Kang suggested that Jang's strong remarks could stem from his difficult political position, urging a practical approach to the issue without obscuring its core problem.

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There has been no discussion within the party regarding re-elections.