politics
Investigators to Question Civil Servants as Protests Continue Over South Korea Ballot Shortages
A joint police and prosecution team will question eight civil servants Monday about their handling of ballot shortages at two Seoul polling stations during the June 3 local elections. The shortages affected voting at 26 stations nationwide.
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Investigators were scheduled to question eight civil servants on June 22 about their response to ballot shortages at two polling stations in Seoul during the June 3 local elections, legal sources said. The eight individuals managed the affected stations. A joint police and prosecution team is examining shortages that halted voting at 26 polling stations across South Korea.
The team raided the National Election Commission on June 11 as part of the inquiry. Protests outside the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul, used as a ballot counting center, entered their 18th consecutive day on June 22. Demonstrators blocked entrances to stop officials from removing ballot boxes and some called for a rerun of the elections.
The National Election Commission apologized for the shortages but stated they do not meet the legal threshold for a rerun. Yoo Jae-seong, acting chief of the National Police Agency, said social consensus is required before ballot boxes can be removed from the gymnasium.
Yoo told reporters that police have avoided forcibly dispersing the protesters because the rallies lack a specific organizer and public safety must be weighed.
Police are investigating 36 cases tied to the protests, including an alleged illegal search of members of the women's national youth handball team. Yoo said authorities will apply swift and stern measures against serious illegal acts.
