South Korean riot police clear protesters after ballot shortage blockade

South Korean riot police cleared protesters who had blockaded a Seoul polling station for 35 hours, an action triggered by a shortage of ballots. More than 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside the Jamsil 7-dong polling station on June 4, holding signs demanding the vote count stop and the election be invalidated. They attempted to prevent the removal of at least two ballot boxes.

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stop the vote count!

Electoral staff were confined to polling stations until the morning of June 5. Live footage showed police physically removing demonstrators who were blocking entrances, with some protesters resisting arrest and shouting questions about the rule of law. Authorities confirmed that the ballot boxes, containing approximately 2,000 ballots, were secured and transported to a counting center.

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invalidate the election!

The National Election Commission issued an apology for the unprecedented ballot shortage at 14 polling stations in Seoul on June 3. The commission attributed the mishap to its failure to anticipate voter turnout. Some stations extended their hours until 10 p.m. to accommodate voters, but this did little to quell criticism of the commission's election management.

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Is this really a country governed by the rule of law?

The elections were viewed as an early test for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's first year in office. His ruling Democratic Party won most races but failed to secure the crucial Seoul mayoral seat. President Lee ordered an investigation into the ballot shortage, calling it an "unacceptable flaw." Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, which suffered significant losses, visited the NEC and called for a rerun of the election. He also referenced claims by former president Yoon Suk Yeol, now jailed, that the NEC had ignored warnings about North Korean threats to voter data.

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a flaw that is difficult to accept