South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman, Roh Tae-ak, on Friday offered to step down after a widespread ballot paper shortage disrupted voting across several polling stations in Seoul during this week’s local elections.
Speaking at a press conference at the NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, Roh accepted responsibility for the incident and apologised for the loss of public confidence in the electoral process.
“The situation weakened voters’ trust and participation in the local elections, and as chairman, I am deeply devastated,” Roh stated.
Roh also disclosed that NEC Secretary-General Heo Cheol-hoon had submitted his resignation over the controversy.
In response, the presidential office said it viewed the resignations with utmost seriousness and called for a thorough review of election management procedures to rebuild public trust.
Government officials stressed the importance of providing a clear explanation of the incident and ensuring strict corrective measures are implemented.
The NEC announced plans to set up an independent panel of external experts to investigate the cause of the ballot shortage and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
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Ballot shortages were reported in more than a dozen polling stations across Seoul, including the Songpa and Gangnam districts, forcing temporary suspensions of voting in some locations.
Several voters were said to have left without casting their ballots after enduring long waits.
Following the disruption, protesters gathered at a polling station in Jamsil, Songpa Ward, alleging electoral fraud and attempting to block officials from moving ballot boxes.
Police later dispersed the crowd and safely transported about 2,000 ballots to a counting centre.
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