PM Vows Stern Action Against Illegal Acts in Election Protest
Quick Look
- South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok vowed stern action against illegal acts by protesters blocking the Jamsil Olympic Handball Gymnasium.
- Protesters demand a rerun of local elections due to ballot shortages, but the government states vote counting is complete and blocking access is a crime.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Protests have erupted following ballot shortages in South Korea's local elections, leading to the suspension of voting at several polling stations. Protesters are now blocking access to a gymnasium used for vote counting.
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Kim Min-seok vowed Tuesday to deal sternly with any illegal acts involved in protests sparked by ballot shortages in this month's local elections amid growing complaints that protesters are restricting entrances to a gymnasium at the center of the rally site.
Hundreds of protesters still remained around SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern district of Jamsil for the 12th consecutive day Tuesday, demanding a rerun of the June 3 mayoral and gubernatorial elections marred by unprecedented ballot shortages that led to suspension of voting at 26 polling stations.
The protests started around the gymnasium because it was used as a vote counting center. But vote counting is now complete, and the facility is no longer used for that purpose, but protesters still block access to the inside of the gymnasium even for those sports officials working there.
"The Jamsil Olympic handball gymnasium has been blocked for more than 10 days. The government humbly respects and listens to people raising legitimate complaints over infringements on their suffrage, but by using this situation as a pretext, some participants violate others' rights and this can never be justified," Kim said.
"This has nothing to do with the purpose of protests and privately restricting those authorized to enter it is a serious crime that can never be tolerated under any circumstances," he said. "Moreover, vote counting has already been completed. There is no reason whatsoever in blocking access ... The government will respond sternly to this in the context of setting an example."
Protesters have demanded a rerun of the elections.
The National Election Commission has apologized for the ballot shortages, saying it failed to print enough ballot papers due to an incorrect prediction of voter turnout. However, the agency maintained that the shortages neither warrant a re-run nor altered the election results.
A joint investigation team of the prosecution and police is looking into the case.
Open Questions
- Will the government take legal action against protesters?
- What are the specific illegal acts committed by protesters?
- Will the election results be affected by the ongoing situation?
