Singer JK Kim Dong-wook [Newsis]
Singer JK Kim Dong-wook [Newsis]

Singer JK Kim Dong-wook publicly criticized the National Election Commission over a ballot shortage that disrupted voting in the June 3 local elections.

On Wednesday, Kim posted on social media saying he was "dumbfounded" by the commission's apology statement. "There is no explanation, and no one seems to intend to take responsibility," he said.

He added that he believed the commission should face a special prosecutor investigation. He said he could not begin to imagine how voters felt when they "went out to vote on Wednesday, only to find themselves in such a dismal and surreal situation."

Kim went on to say that "the South Korea I know — that we all know — was not this kind of country," calling the incident a prime example of what he described as the country's regression.

Election officials count ballots at a counting center set up at Seoul National University in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, the day of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. Photo by Lim Se-jun
Election officials count ballots at a counting center set up at Seoul National University in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, the day of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. Photo by Lim Se-jun

An unprecedented ballot shortage struck some polling stations in Seoul on Wednesday, forcing voters to wait two to three hours for additional ballots to arrive. Many gave up and went home without casting their votes.

The National Election Commission said the shortage affected a total of 14 polling stations. The affected areas included seven neighborhoods — Garak 2-dong, Jamsil 2-dong, Jamsil 4-dong, Jamsil 7-dong and Munjeong 2-dong in Songpa-gu; Cheongdam-dong in Gangnam-gu; and Guui 3-dong in Gwangjin-gu.

Commission Secretary-General Heo Cheol-hun issued a public apology at the commission's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, saying the shortage had caused "great confusion and concern" for voters. He said he felt "a deep sense of responsibility for undermining public trust in fair election administration."

The commission nonetheless maintained that the incident did not meet the legal threshold under the Public Official Election Act for postponing or rerunning an election. In a statement, it said halting the ongoing vote count was not an option and that ballot boxes from the affected stations must be transferred to counting centers so that voters' choices could be confirmed.

김수현 변호사 사과에 은현장 “김세의와 전쟁, 이제 시작…힘 합칠 때” 화답

김수현 변호사 사과에 은현장 “김세의와 전쟁, 이제 시작…힘 합칠 때” 화답

[헤럴드경제=최원혁 기자] 유튜버 은현장이 배우 김수현 법률대리인 고상록 변호사의 사과를 받아들이며 “힘을 합쳐야 하는 상황”이라고 밝혔다. 3일 은현장은 자신의 유
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