Investigators question election officials over ballot shortage
Investigators conduct a search and seizure to secure evidence related to ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections at the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission in central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
Two election officials who oversaw polling stations hit by ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections appeared before investigators on Thursday to undergo questioning over the incident, legal sources said.
A joint police and prosecution team called in the Songpa District Election Commission officials to question them about the election watchdog's internal instructions in response to the shortages, according to the sources.
The team is probing allegations that the National Election Commission hastily decided to reduce the number of printed ballots and failed to respond effectively to ballot shortages on election day.
The team was also set to question nine local government officials who distributed ballots at polling stations in Seoul that ran out of ballot papers. The team plans to question them about the election watchdog's response measures to the shortages.
The questioning session comes a day after the joint investigation team raided the offices of 12 election commission officials who oversaw polling stations in Seoul that experienced ballot shortages.
Meanwhile, protesters demanding a rerun of the elections continued to rally outside the Olympic Park Handball Stadium in southern Seoul for the 21st day Thursday.
Protesters have blocked access to the stadium, which served as a ballot counting site during the elections, since June 5 to prevent the removal of ballot boxes inside.