Affixing stamp. [Yonhap News]

Amid criticism of the Election Commission's poor election management in the recent 6.3 local elections, a specific on-site report was received about a bizarre incident at Polling Station 1 in Oryu 1-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, where ballots were issued before confirming voters' identities.

According to the Liberty and Innovation Party and the Korea-US Joint Investigation Team for Election Irregularities on the 5th, a witness reported that a woman, appearing to be in her mid-50s, who visited the polling station in Oryu 1-dong, Guro-gu, on the 3rd, loudly demanded "A pen, a pen!" just before entering the voting booth, immediately after receiving the first set of ballots.

The fact that ballots in Korean elections must be marked with a 'designated affixing stamp' and not a ballpoint pen or other writing instrument is common knowledge that any voter participating in elections for decades should be aware of. This led eyewitnesses at the scene to suspect that the woman might be Chinese, unfamiliar with the domestic election culture.

A more serious problem arose afterward. When the witness, observing the middle-aged woman marking her ballot and casting it into the ballot box, asked her, "Did you go through the proper identity verification process?" she surprisingly admitted, "I did not."

Only after the polling station staff realized the situation belatedly and hastily proceeded with the identity verification process for the woman did they issue the second set of ballots, leading to an absurd scene.

'Identity verification,' which confirms the voter's identity and whether they are listed on the voter roll, is the first line of defense and an indispensable legal procedure for ensuring fair elections. The fact that the Election Commission indiscriminately issued ballots, skipping even the most basic procedure, is a clear indication of the severe loopholes and flaws in this election management system.

A representative from the Liberty and Innovation Party stated, "The Election Commission must thoroughly clarify the circumstances behind this significant management failure at Polling Station 1 in Oryu 1-dong, Guro-gu," and warned, "A comprehensive investigation into the entire process of voter identification and ballot management is unavoidable."