On the afternoon of the 17th of last month, proportional representation ballots for the 9th local elections were being produced at a printing company in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. [Yonhap News]

In the June 3rd local elections, an unprecedented "ballot shortage" occurred in the history of Korean elections, trampling on the sacred right of suffrage of the people. It has been revealed that an excessive number of leftover ballots remained in some areas, such as Oryu 1-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul. 

According to the Freedom and Innovation Party and the Korea-US Joint Election Irregularity Investigation Team on the 4th, a field report stated that the quantity of leftover ballots in Oryu 1-dong, Guro-gu, was so large that they could not fit into the return bags, causing significant delays in the return process.

This stands in stark contrast to the "voting rights violation tragedy" that occurred in areas like Songpa and Gangnam, Seoul, where ballots ran out and voters were turned away. 

A representative of the Freedom and Innovation Party stated, "While areas like Songpa-gu, Seoul, where ballots were insufficient and suffrage was denied, are traditionally strong right-leaning regions, Oryu 1-dong in Guro-gu, Seoul, is a strong left-leaning region." They raised an objection, saying, "The public sentiment viewing this situation is filled with suspicion that goes beyond a simple administrative error." 

The public is expressing outrage and posing serious questions regarding this situation where ballot allocations varied wildly depending on the voter demographics of each region. Public opinion is gaining momentum that the National Election Commission, which has completely undermined the fairness and credibility of the election, should take legal and political responsibility for this situation and resign en masse.

A representative of the Freedom and Innovation Party emphasized, "Is this extreme incompetence of the Election Commission, or is it a meticulously planned scheme to control voter turnout in certain regions?" They urged, "The government and investigative agencies must thoroughly investigate the regional allocation criteria and the presence of intentionality, and reveal the truth to the public without a shred of doubt."