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PROTESTERS continued demonstrations in Seoul on Monday, demanding a rerun of last week’s local elections following ballot paper shortages that disrupted voting at several polling stations.
According to an unofficial police estimate, more than 1,600 protesters gathered outside the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa Ward, where vote-counting activities were conducted.
Although the turnout was significantly lower than the estimated 8,000 protesters recorded around midnight on Sunday, it exceeded the 950 counted earlier in the day.
The National Election Commission (NEC) said voting was temporarily suspended at 22 polling stations nationwide on Wednesday after ballot papers ran out.
The shortages triggered public outrage, with protesters blocking the gymnasium’s 10 entrances to prevent ballot boxes from being moved.
Some demonstrators alleged electoral fraud and called for fresh elections.
Police deployed about 350 officers to maintain order and prevent clashes at the protest venue.
In a separate incident, a Taiwanese journalist was briefly surrounded by protesters who reportedly suspected the individual was Chinese.
Meanwhile, police have intensified investigations into the ballot shortages.
Authorities said they had obtained chat records involving election officials and questioned election workers, as well as voters who were unable to cast their ballots because of the shortages.
Investigators also questioned a civic activist over a complaint filed against senior NEC officials, including the commission’s chairman, for alleged dereliction of duty in handling the election process.
Kim Soon-hwan, Secretary-General of the People’s Welfare Countermeasure Committee, urged authorities to conduct a transparent and thorough investigation into the incident.
Police said they would determine whether the NEC complied with established ballot distribution procedures.
Earlier, on Sunday, President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over the disruptions and ordered prosecutors and police to launch a comprehensive joint investigation into the matter. (Yonhap/NAN)
A.I
June 8, 2026
Tags: President Lee Jae Myung SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium