South Korean party files lawsuit challenging election results over ballot shortages

The People Power Party is taking legal action, filing lawsuits with the Supreme Court to challenge the results of six local elections. This move comes after the National Election Commission rejected their appeals regarding alleged ballot shortages and voting disruptions during the June 3 local elections.

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Given the difficulty in accurately calculating the number of voters who gave up visiting polling stations or returned while waiting due to the suspension of voting, it cannot be concluded that the election results were unaffected solely by the vote difference between candidates.

The party's legal committee specifically pointed to the Seoul City Council proportional representation election, where the vote difference between major parties was only 7,524 votes. They argue that such a narrow margin means the outcome and seat allocation could have been influenced by the irregularities.

Beyond ballot shortages, the lawsuits also cite other issues in the election management process. These include the delayed delivery of additional ballots, the use of ballots without serial numbers, voting continuing after exit polls were released, and alleged arbitrary changes to voter turnout statistics. The party contends these factors warrant a review of the election results.

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Especially in the Seoul City Council proportional representation election, the vote difference between the two parties was only 7,524 votes, and we judged that it could have affected the party's vote count and seat allocation, so we decided to file an election invalidation lawsuit.

Kim Tae-gyu, the People Power Party's legal advisory committee chairman, expressed frustration with the National Election Commission's decision. He stated it is difficult to accept the commission's conclusion that the results were unaffected, especially when the commission itself acknowledged legal violations. Kim emphasized the importance of the court thoroughly examining the irregularities and their impact on the fairness of the election and citizens' voting rights.

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It is difficult to comprehend that the National Election Commission, despite admitting to its own legal violations, dismissed the appeals by stating that the election results were not affected. As this is a matter concerning the people's right to vote and the fairness of elections, the court must closely examine the illegality of the election management process and its impact and make a strict judgment.