South Korean party leader vows election lawsuit after appeal denied

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of South Korea's People Power Party, has strongly criticized the National Election Commission (NEC) for rejecting the party's appeals concerning irregularities in the June 3 local elections. Jang declared that the party has no choice but to pursue legal action following the NEC's decision.

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As expected, the NEC has dismissed all our election appeals.

"As expected, the NEC has dismissed all our election appeals," Jang stated on Facebook. The NEC had announced decisions on 261 election appeals, rejecting 112 and dismissing 149. Regarding the Seoul mayoral election appeal, the commission acknowledged that ballot shortages at some polling stations constituted a violation of election regulations but concluded it did not impact the overall results.

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Cheating occurred, but it didn't change the rankings, so it's okay.

Jang likened the NEC's stance to saying, "Cheating occurred, but it didn't change the rankings, so it's okay." He argued that the appeal was precisely to determine if the outcome was affected. "The commission's decision is self-serving and nonsensical," he asserted, vowing that the matter would be thoroughly investigated through a special prosecutor. "We have no choice but to proceed with election litigation."

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The commission's decision is self-serving and nonsensical.

The NEC also dismissed appeals related to proportional representation seats in the Seoul City Council, and elections for mayors in Incheon, Busan, Ulsan, and provincial governors in Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, and the integrated special city of Jeonju-Gwangju. Election appeals allow parties to challenge election validity based on management issues, with the NEC's Appeals Review Committee required to decide within 60 days. Dissatisfied appellants can file lawsuits in court within 10 days of notification.

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We have no choice but to proceed with election litigation.