The chief of South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC) resigned on Friday, taking responsibility for ballot paper shortages in several districts during Wednesday’s local elections. The disruptions caused voting delays and fueled widespread public anger.
Roh Tae-ak said the incident was inexcusable, noting that it undermined the public’s trust and willingness to participate in the democratic process.
Roh, who by convention serves simultaneously as a Supreme Court justice and head of the commission’s large secretariat overseeing all national elections, said an external panel of experts will be convened to determine what caused the breakdown. He added that he will accept whatever conclusions the investigation reaches.
According to an NEC official, 50 polling stations ran out of ballots and required additional supplies, while 22 others faced voting interruptions due to delayed deliveries.
Nationwide, there were roughly 14,300 polling stations.
Some voters waited for hours after the official 6 p.m. close of polls on Wednesday (0900 GMT). In Seoul’s Songpa district, an angry crowd blocked officials from moving ballot boxes once voting ended.
Protesters stayed through the night in the rain until Friday morning, when hundreds of police were deployed to escort election officials retrieving the final two ballot boxes. The ballot count was officially completed on Friday afternoon.
