Protests for election re-run continue for 9th day in Seoul
Quick Look
- Protests demanding a re-run of South Korea's local elections, marred by ballot shortages, continued for the ninth day Saturday in Seoul.
- While participant numbers decreased significantly from the previous night, around 700 protesters gathered, chanting slogans.
- The National Election Commission maintains the shortages do not warrant a re-run or affect results.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Protests demanding a re-run of last week's local elections, marred by ballot shortages, continued for the ninth day. The National Election Commission maintains the shortages neither warrant a re-run nor altered the election results.
SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- Protests demanding a re-run of last week's local elections marred by ballot shortages continued for the ninth day Saturday morning, though participants decreased sharply compared with the previous night.
About 700 protesters chanted slogans and waved national flags around SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern district of Jamsil as of 9 a.m., down from some 8,000 people gathered Friday night.
The protests were sparked by the unprecedented ballot shortages in the June 3 mayoral and gubernatorial elections. According to the National Election Commission, voting was suspended at 26 polling stations across the nation and some voters were reported to have returned home without casting their votes due to the lack of ballot papers.
The protests had grown to some 30,000 people, many of them in their 20s and 30s, last weekend, but has since gradually decreased, with many older people replacing younger voters at weekday rallies.
The NEC has maintained the ballot shortages neither warrant a re-run nor altered the election results.
President Lee Jae Myung has promised a thorough probe and measures to overhaul the election watchdog.
Open Questions
- Will the protests lead to an investigation or re-run?
- What specific measures will be taken to overhaul the election watchdog?
