A voter accompanied by a child casts a ballot at Polling Station No. 5 in Dogok 1-dong, set up at the Maebongsan Indoor Badminton Center in Seoul, on Tuesday, the day of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. [Yonhap]
A voter accompanied by a child casts a ballot at Polling Station No. 5 in Dogok 1-dong, set up at the Maebongsan Indoor Badminton Center in Seoul, on Tuesday, the day of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. [Yonhap]

Police were called to multiple polling stations across Seoul on Tuesday as some voters caused disturbances during the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said 33 election-related emergency calls were received across the city between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., after voting opened.

At around 6:28 a.m., a man in his 60s at a polling station in Dongdaemun-gu attempted to leave the venue without depositing his ballot in the box. When election officials blocked his path, he shouted and caused a scene.

At 7:40 a.m., another man in his 60s who had gone to the wrong polling station in Guro-gu struck and grabbed an election official's arm after being directed to the correct location for his registered address. Police said they plan to investigate both men for possible legal violations.

Meanwhile, the National Election Commission said voter turnout nationwide stood at 11.0 percent as of 10 a.m.


nyang@heraldcorp.com