Korean history lecturer and broadcaster Choi Tae-seong has sharply criticized the ballot shortage that disrupted voting during the June 3 local elections.
Choi posted a photograph from the April 19 Revolution on his Facebook page Tuesday, writing that "we know well the history of the April 19 Revolution of 1960." He then said that "in broad daylight in 2026 South Korea, the right to vote has been violated. The most fundamental principles of democracy have been seriously undermined."
"We have become a country where people cannot vote because there are not enough ballots," he added. "I cannot believe it. The truth must be uncovered, responsibility must be assigned, and solutions must be presented with lightning speed."
He urged the public to treat the situation with urgency. "This must be taken seriously. There is no room for delay," he wrote, tagging the post with hashtags referencing his name and the National Election Commission.
On the day of the June 3 local elections, ballot shortages at some polling stations in Seoul's Gangnam-gu, Gwangjin-gu and Songpa-gu left voters waiting for extended periods or unable to cast their ballots at all.
At the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu — located near the Olympic Park handball arena — the shortage drew crowds of citizens and conservative-leaning YouTubers alleging election fraud, leading to protests outside the entrance.
husn7@heraldcorp.com
