Protests over ballot shortage continue for 17th day

SEOUL — Protests demanding a rerun of South Korea's June 3 local elections, which were disrupted by ballot paper shortages, have entered their 17th day. Demonstrators have gathered outside the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern ward of Songpa, the site used for ballot counting, chanting slogans and holding pickets claiming election fraud, as reported by Yonhap News.

The protests began June 5, two days after ballot shortages temporarily suspended voting at 26 polling stations across the nation. According to an estimate by the Seoul city government cited by Yonhap, as many as 34,000 people were gathered at the venue as of 3:30 p.m. on the 17th day, with those in their 20s and 30s accounting for more than half of the total. Protesters have blockaded the stadium in a bid to prevent the removal of ballot boxes inside.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News has provided ongoing coverage of the protests, with reports filed on days 14, 17, 20, and 23 of the demonstrations. Each report emphasizes the protesters' demands for a rerun of the election and their allegations of election fraud. The coverage consistently attributes the protests to the ballot shortages that occurred on election day.

The reports also note the position of the National Election Commission (NEC), which has apologized for the ballot shortages but maintains that they do not warrant a rerun under election law. A joint team of police investigators and prosecutors has been investigating the NEC over the shortages, according to Yonhap.

Key Claims

  • Protests demanding a rerun of the June 3 local elections have continued for at least 23 days, with demonstrations held outside the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Seoul.
  • Ballot paper shortages temporarily suspended voting at 26 polling stations on election day, prompting the protests.
  • On the 17th day, an estimated 34,000 people were gathered at the venue, with over half in their 20s and 30s, based on Seoul city government estimates.
  • On the 23rd day, Seoul city data estimated 22,000-24,000 people in the Olympic Park area, with 21.5 percent in their 60s; this figure included pedestrians, public transport users, and concert attendees.
  • A separate rally near Hongik University subway station in western Seoul, organized by young protesters, also called for a rerun, with organizers estimating about 500 participants.
  • Morse Tan, a Korean American scholar, held a press conference on the 20th day, claiming election fraud and calling for President Lee Jae Myung's resignation. Tan faces a police probe over allegations of defaming the president.
  • Police booked a man in his 30s for brandishing a sharp weapon near the gymnasium on the 13th day, according to Yonhap. The man, who injured himself, repeatedly shouted that people were dying inside the gymnasium before being apprehended.
  • The government has urged protesters to refrain from illegal acts, stating that while peaceful rallies should be protected, illegal acts of violence will not be tolerated.