Prime Minister Kim Min-seok [Newsis]
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok [Newsis]

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Friday that the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections must be fully investigated, calling for a parliamentary investigation or special prosecutor if necessary.

Kim made the remarks in a post on his Facebook and other social media accounts, saying he had ordered authorities to "uncover the truth behind this incident through all available means and measures, including a criminal investigation, and hold those responsible strictly accountable."

Conservative citizens and others gather outside the handball stadium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul — where ballots from Jamsil 7-dong are being counted — to protest on Friday. [Newsis]
Conservative citizens and others gather outside the handball stadium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul — where ballots from Jamsil 7-dong are being counted — to protest on Friday. [Newsis]

Kim said the National Election Commission's ballot shortage was "something that simply cannot be overlooked" and described it as "a grave challenge to Korean democracy."

On Tuesday, the day of the June 3 local elections, some polling stations in Seoul's Gangnam-gu, Gwangjin-gu and Songpa-gu ran short of ballots, leaving voters waiting in line.

Protesters alleging election fraud subsequently blockaded the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, preventing two ballot boxes from being transported. Police were eventually deployed, and the boxes reached the counting center Friday morning.


husn7@heraldcorp.com