Protests Over Ballot Shortages Continue for 11th Day in Seoul

SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- Protests demanding a rerun of the June 3 local elections marred by ballot shortages continued for the eleventh day Monday, though the number of protesters sharply declined from the weekend.

About 200 protesters were rallying around SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern ward of Songpa as of 10 a.m., according to an unofficial police estimate. As many as 20,000 people had gathered in the area over the weekend.

Protesters began gathering at the stadium, which served as a ballot counting site, on June 5, days after ballot shortages at some polling stations, mostly in Seoul, disrupted voting during the local elections.

According to the National Election Commission (NEC), voting was temporarily suspended at 26 polling stations across the nation, and some voters reportedly returned home without casting their votes due to the lack of ballot papers.

While the NEC apologized for the debacle, it said the ballot shortages do not warrant a rerun under the election law. A joint team of police investigators and prosecutors have been investigating the NEC over the shortages.

The protesters at the stadium have blocked its entrances in a bid to prevent election officials from removing ballot boxes. The blockade has prevented sports organizations based at the building from entering their offices.

Some of the protesters plan to hold a separate rally near the presidential office in central Seoul later in the day.