South Korean Protesters Demand Re-Run of Local Elections Amid Ballot Shortage

Protesters outside a ballot-counting site in South Korea on Saturday rallied for a second day, demanding a re-run of local elections held earlier this week. Around 10,000 citizens were estimated to have gathered at the SK Olympic Handball Stadium as of 5.30pm local time, where votes were counted from Wednesday’s elections to pick mayors and local government officials and assembly members, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an unofficial police estimate. Representatives at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency were not immediately reached by Reuters to confirm the estimates. The protests follow a ballot shortage that prevented some eligible voters from casting their ballots across the country, prompting the resignation of the head of the National Election Commission. Fifty of 14,300 polling stations ran out of ballots and voting was temporarily suspended at 22 polling stations due to delays in receiving supplies, according to the election commission. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a televised speech that the ballot shortage was intolerable and a violation of the right to vote. He demanded disbanding the election commission and an investigation by special prosecutors.