Kang Dong-wan, acting secretary-general of the National Election Commission (left), and other officials visit Songpa-gu District Office on Friday to apologize over ballot shortages that disrupted voting across the district during the June 3 local elections. [Yonhap]
Kang Dong-wan, acting secretary-general of the National Election Commission (left), and other officials visit Songpa-gu District Office on Friday to apologize over ballot shortages that disrupted voting across the district during the June 3 local elections. [Yonhap]

The National Election Commission issued a formal apology Friday over ballot shortages and voting suspensions that occurred at several polling stations in Seoul's Songpa-gu during the June 3 local elections.

Kang Dong-wan, acting secretary-general of the National Election Commission, visited Songpa-gu District Office on Friday afternoon and met with district mayor Seo Gang-seok. He told Seo the commission was "sincerely sorry to the public that something that should never have happened did happen."

Kang said ballot shortages had struck 14 polling stations under Songpa-gu's jurisdiction and extended his apology to the roughly 1,800 Songpa-gu civil servants who assisted with election operations and the approximately 1,300 workers involved in vote counting.

The commission also acknowledged that its own guidelines were at the root of the crisis. "The unprecedented ballot shortage began with guidelines the commission drew up without anticipating this situation at all," Kang said. "Even after the problem arose, we failed to resolve it clearly, swiftly and accurately, and that contributed to the confusion."

However, Kang drew a line when it came to the broader allegations and criticism that have recently surrounded the commission. "Our staff are well aware of the various criticisms and condemnations directed at the commission," he said, "but I want to make clear that the commission does not exist as an organization to betray the public."

District mayor Seo accepted the apology while urging thorough measures to prevent a recurrence and calling for follow-up action at the government level. "Seventy-five percent of Songpa-gu's public officials were mobilized for election duties, and our civil servants had to bear the full brunt of voters' complaints at the time," Seo said. "This must never happen again."

Seo also noted that rallies demanding answers on both the ballot shortage and allegations of election fraud have continued for more than 50 consecutive days at Olympic Park. He called on the minister of the Interior and Safety Ministry and the National Election Commission chairperson to visit the site in person, apologize and explain plans for systemic reform.

After the meeting, Kang also addressed allegations of "vote tally manipulation" currently under investigation by a joint police-prosecution task force. Reports had emerged that some commission employees told investigators the equivalent of "isn't it enough as long as the final turnout figures match?" — a statement Kang said "appears to have been an inappropriate remark."

However, Kang denied any organizational involvement. "There is absolutely no way there was any systematic direction from above," he said. "We believe that kind of remark came up in the course of communication between staff members involved. The exact details will have to await the outcome of the investigation."


brunch@heraldcorp.com