Police forcibly remove patriotic citizens to take ballot boxes. [YTN News Capture] 

“The actions taken by the National Election Commission (NEC) this time are not mere mistakes. They are grave illegal acts that have infringed upon the people's right to vote and undermined the credibility of the election process. Yet, the police, judiciary, and government, who should be punishing them, are all remaining silent, covering for each other and attempting to sweep this under the rug.”

Jin Cummings spoke out on the 5th, stating that the People Power Party must take action regarding the unprecedented ballot shortage.

He declared, “If Lee Jae-myung were truly a normal president, he should have immediately stepped forward, halted the entire voting process, and declared the election invalid. He should have also ordered a rerun election and initiated a full investigation into the NEC officials.” He added, “Those who remain silent while the people's right to vote is trampled and the election process collapses are all accomplices.”

He continued, “This is a case where the NEC, an institution that should oversee fair elections, has instead undermined the people's right to vote, which is a clear illegal act.”

Article 242 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that anyone who “interferes with or obstructs a voter's ballot without a justifiable reason” can be punished with imprisonment for up to three years. The NEC's lack of preparedness constitutes dereliction of duty and obstruction of voting, which has substantially impaired the people's right to participate in politics, a fundamental constitutional right.

Jin Cummings criticized Lee Jae-myung for taking his ballot outside the voting booth and revealing it, calling it a clear violation of Article 167, Paragraph 3 of the Public Official Election Act, which states, “An elector shall not disclose the ballot paper on which they have marked their vote, and a disclosed ballot paper shall be invalidated.”

He questioned, “Despite this, the police have neither immediately investigated nor summoned him. Does the law only apply to citizens and not to those in power?”

Jin Cummings asserted, “If the police and prosecutors do not act, the People Power Party must. What is needed now is not mere expressions of regret, but a demand for the NEC to disclose all information regarding the ballot shortage, the election management process, server records, whether CCTV footage is being preserved, the routes of ballot box transportation, and the quantities printed and distributed of ballot papers.”

He further stated, “If even the People Power Party remains silent, the public must no longer rely on politicians and must fight with their lives on the line through national resistance until the very end.”

The following is the full text of the post Jin Cummings made on Facebook on the 5th.

My hometown is Jamsil. I cannot bear the current reality where, from the very place that holds all my childhood memories, I can only watch from afar as the people's right to vote is trampled and citizens' fundamental rights are violated by a power that has been seized by anti-national forces.

Seeing citizens dragged away by the police, who have been reduced to henchmen of power, I can hardly suppress my unbearable anger and deep regret.

Is a country that labels citizens protesting against illegality as rioters while protecting the NEC, which is the actual perpetrator of illegality, truly a democratic nation?

What kind of manipulation was carried out behind the scenes with the ballot papers that led to the unbelievable situation of more than 50% of ballot papers being short in 17 regions?

If the intention was to conduct the election normally, this is an utterly impossible scenario. Was it because there was already a plan to manipulate the results, and they judged that this much would suffice?

The fact that only that many ballot papers were printed cannot be dismissed as a mere administrative error; it is an illegal act.

When President Trump encountered an error with mail-in ballots in Maryland and 500,000 incorrect ballots were sent out, he immediately labeled it "fraud" and "fake," ordering an investigation by the Department of Justice. When a serious problem arises in the election process, the first duty of a national leader is to protect the integrity of the election.

If Lee Jae-myung were truly a normal president, he should have immediately stepped forward, halted the entire voting process, and declared the election invalid. He should have also ordered a rerun election and initiated a full investigation into the NEC officials.

An investigation must be conducted into why the ballot shortage occurred, why the NEC did not print the required quantity of ballot papers, how they were distributed to each region, and what irregularities occurred at the polling stations. Those responsible for irregularities in the election management process must be severely punished, regardless of their position.

However, Lee Jae-myung did not do so.

Why? Because he is the beneficiary of this situation. Because he is already an accomplice in this illegal election.

Those who remain silent while the people's right to vote is trampled and the election process collapses are all accomplices.

This situation indicates that from the outset, the election was being rigged without the premise of a normal voting process. Furthermore, this is not a case where pre-printed ballots were lost somewhere. The problem is that the necessary quantity was not printed in the first place.

This means the NEC failed to properly guarantee the number of votes that the people should have actually cast on election day. An institution that should oversee fair elections has instead undermined the people's right to vote, which is a clear illegal act.

Article 242 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that anyone who “interferes with or obstructs a voter's ballot without a justifiable reason” can be punished with imprisonment for up to three years.

The NEC's lack of preparedness constitutes dereliction of duty and obstruction of voting, which has substantially impaired the people's right to participate in politics, a fundamental constitutional right.

Regarding ballot papers, Article 151 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that ballot papers must be sent to the township/town/neighborhood election commission by the day before the election. If they were urgently printed and transported on the day itself, this is a violation of this provision.

NEC officials cannot escape responsibility for violating the people's right to vote, and a thorough investigation into the facts and strict judicial judgment must be carried out.

In past elections, Lee Jae-myung insisted on severe punishment for church pastors who criticized a specific candidate, citing violations of the Public Official Election Act. However, he himself committed an illegal act by taking a marked ballot paper out of the voting booth and revealing it.

This is a clear violation of Article 167, Paragraph 3 of the Public Official Election Act, which states, “An elector shall not disclose the ballot paper on which they have marked their vote, and a disclosed ballot paper shall be invalidated.”

Despite this, the police have neither immediately investigated nor summoned him. Does the law only apply to citizens and not to those in power?

The police must ask themselves, if they have even a shred of conscience left: Is it not shameful and disgraceful to wear a police badge entrusted to protect the people, yet meekly kneel before power and remain silent?

This situation is not just about the shortage of ballot papers. Evidence is pouring in that voting did not proceed normally in various regions.

What are the media doing?

The media, which should be holding the NEC accountable and reporting accurately, instead portrayed the citizens and young people gathered in Jamsil as if they were rioters. They are pushing the issues of ballot shortages, poor management, and lack of transparency in the election process to the side, and making those who raise these issues appear as a dangerous mob.

Korean media outlets, even as the nation is heading towards ruin, why do they still flatter those in power and act as their shield? Are they not ashamed to show their sycophantic behavior towards illegality to their children?

The actions taken by the NEC this time are not mere mistakes. They are grave illegal acts that have infringed upon the people's right to vote and undermined the credibility of the election process. Yet, the police, judiciary, and government, who should be punishing them, are all remaining silent, covering for each other and attempting to sweep this under the rug.

If the nation's law enforcement agencies are moving to protect government institutions rather than the people, that nation is already a thoroughly corrupt state and evidence that it is on the path to ruin.

South Korea is no longer a democratic country. South Korea has been seized by anti-national forces and is being dragged along as a satellite state of the Chinese Communist Party.

Will the People Power Party also compromise and move on? Will they once again say it's a strategic step back for a future opportunity?

As the nation heads towards ruin, will the people in politics become slaves to the money deposited in their bank accounts and live as henchmen for criminals?

Rather than that, if one is a person who has stepped forward for the country, they should fight against illegality with the sense of mission to protect the nation with their lives, even if it means biting their tongue and choosing death.

Yet, who is stepping forward for the collapsing Republic of Korea right now? It is simply tragic and deeply regrettable.

If the People Power Party does not fight to the end in the face of this situation, the Republic of Korea will ultimately sink.

What is needed now is not mere expressions of regret. It is to demand that the NEC disclose all information regarding the ballot shortage, the election management process, server records, whether CCTV footage is being preserved, the routes of ballot box transportation, and the quantities printed and distributed of ballot papers.

If the police and prosecutors do not act, the People Power Party must.

If even the People Power Party remains silent, the public must no longer rely on politicians and must fight with their lives on the line through national resistance until the very end. If the election cannot be protected, the Republic of Korea can no longer be called a democratic country. If the Republic of Korea stops fighting here, it will ultimately become the 'North Korean People's Republic'.

◆ Jin Cummings

An American political columnist. After working at Channel 13 in Baltimore, Maryland, he served as Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Times (1994-1996) and Director of Business at The Korean Weekly (1996-2000), after which he founded The Asia Post. He currently works as a backend analyst in politics, diplomacy, and security for a private company performing government contracts.