Jang Dong-hyeok, Representative of the People Power Party, explains the reasons for his call for a re-election during a press conference held at the National Assembly on the 27th, ahead of his appearance at an election appeal hearing at the National Election Commission regarding the ballot paper shortage crisis. [Yonhap News]

Jang Dong-hyeok, Representative of the People Power Party, strongly criticized the National Election Commission (NEC), declaring that "the 6/3 local elections are invalid, and a re-election must be held."

On the 27th (Korea Standard Time), prior to attending the first hearing of the 6/3 local election appeal held at the NEC in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Representative Jang held a press conference at the National Assembly and stated, "Based on the facts revealed so far, this local election is invalid without the need for further proof," adding, "The NEC must acknowledge its wrongdoing to the public and conduct a re-election."

Citing the ballot paper shortage that occurred on election day and the recently raised issues regarding data entry errors in the election management system, he argued, "If voter turnout can be manipulated at will, we cannot rule out the possibility that vote shares were also manipulated." He continued, "The fairness and credibility of the entire election process have been undermined," and stated, "If the NEC cannot provide a clear explanation, this local election must be viewed as a total fraudulent election."

Representative Jang specifically pointed to the ballot shortages and suspension of voting that occurred at various polling stations, including those in Seoul, and argued, "It is difficult to even accurately grasp how many voters had their suffrage rights infringed upon," adding, "As it is impossible to determine how these illegalities and chaos affected the election results, the election itself can hardly be considered legitimate."

He further emphasized, "Multiple issues occurred simultaneously, including the emergency transport of unnumbered ballots, inadequate sealing and storage procedures, voting continuing after the announcement of exit polls, and irregularities in the transport of ballot boxes and the counting process," noting, "Since these reasons exist nationwide, there is no way to restore public trust other than by holding a re-election."

Representative Jang said, "The NEC must acknowledge all its mistakes and apologize to the public even now," and added, "Conducting a re-election is the final responsible choice to restore trust in the Republic of Korea's election system." Furthermore, he called for sweeping reforms of the National Election Commission.

These remarks were made ahead of the first oral argument for the local election appeal case held at the NEC, and Representative Jang attended the proceedings in person to present his arguments. The NEC is conducting hearings on the case in accordance with legal procedures, and it is expected that the facts and legal judgments regarding the claims raised by Representative Jang will be determined during the future hearing process.

US NNP = Representative Reporter Hong Seong-gu / NNP News Service Exclusive info@newsandpost.com