No major disturbance at polling stations

Voters cast their ballots in the general election at a polling station set up in a hair salon in Seodaemun, Seoul, Wednesday. Various places were used as polling stations. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Kim Bo-eun

Some 13,000 polling stations across the nation saw an eventful day, Wednesday, with voters coming to cast their ballots for the general election.

There were no major disturbances, but some stations had minor incidents, including voters’ damaging ballot papers; attempts to vote again after having already done so during the early voting period; and election staff errors in handing out ballot papers.

A man surnamed Park, 61, came to the polling station in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, drunk. He tore his ballot for proportional representation, saying he “did not have any party he wanted to vote for.”

The Haman office of the National Election Commission (NEC) is investigating the incident and will decide whether to file a complaint with the prosecution. According to the Election Law, the act of damaging ballots can be subject to a prison term of between one and 10 years or a fine of between 5 million won and 30 million won.

In Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, another drunken man, 41, entered a polling station at around 6:45 a.m., took a photo of his ballot after voting and showed it to an NEC staffer, who then reported the man to the police. Police are investigating the man on suspicions of violating the Election Law which bans taking photos of the ballot paper.

Some voters attempted to vote again after casting their ballots during the early voting period on April 8 and 9.

At a polling station in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, seven voters did not receive ballots for proportional representation. “It seemed that a staff member at the polling station made the mistake of only giving voters one ballot paper,” an NEC official said. “We are investigating it.”

In Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, a staff member at a polling station mistakenly gave a female voter an extra ballot paper. The voter tore the extra ballot and threw it in the trash bin. Staff retrieved it and reported the case to the police.

Meanwhile, a bus which brought voters to a polling station in Boeun County, North Chungcheong Province, caught fire around 8 a.m.

The bus was parked at the polling station while voters were casting their ballots, so there were no casualties but the fire resulted in 4 million won in property damage.

In Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, a 110-year-old woman, Song Hwa-bun, cast her ballot. Her family members helped her to the polling station.

A 52-year-old man in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, who had been hospitalized for traffic accident injuries, participated in the vote by going to the station in an ambulance.

There were a variety of polling stations for the general election ― which included wedding halls, taekwondo studios, beauty salons and an exhibition hall for the Gwangju Biennale.

“The accessibility of polling stations is important. These places were turned into polling stations as it was easy for residents nearby to gather there,” an NEC official said.