Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announcing his statement. [Photo= Channel A capture]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has characterized the shortage of ballot papers in the June 3 local elections as a "violation of the right to participate in politics and a desecration of the constitution," demanding reforms to the National Election Commission (NEC) akin to dissolution.

In a statement on the 6th, Mayor Oh declared, "In a democratic nation, for the state to encourage citizens to vote, only to turn them away because there are no ballots at the polling stations, is a grave violation of the right to participate in politics and a desecration of the constitution that cannot be justified by any excuse."

This statement is notable as it represents a key message from the political sphere immediately following the local elections. After successfully winning his fifth term as Seoul Mayor, Oh prioritized addressing the election management failure over his acceptance speech or plans for the city administration. This effectively elevates the issue from the election results to the guarantee of citizens' voting rights.

"Need to Clarify Intentionality/Gross Negligence"... Parliamentary Inquiry and Special Prosecutor Mentioned

Mayor Oh emphasized the need for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident. He stated, "We must clearly ascertain the causes of the ballot paper prediction failure and the supply chain deficiencies, and whether there was any intentionality or gross negligence."

He also called upon the National Assembly, demanding, "The truth must be investigated using all powerful means that the public can accept, including a parliamentary inquiry and a special prosecutor."

However, it is important to note that intentionality or gross negligence has not been confirmed at this stage. Therefore, the core focus should not be on political disputes surrounding the election results, but rather on investigating whether state agencies reliably guaranteed the exercise of voting rights.

From NEC Responsibility to Systemic Reform Debate

In a briefing on the 5th, the NEC stated that additional ballot papers were sent to 67 polling stations nationwide during the main vote of the June 3 local elections, and that 50 of these stations actually experienced a shortage. It was reported that voting was temporarily suspended and then resumed at 22 polling stations due to the ballot paper shortage.

Mayor Oh believes that such an incident should not be dismissed as mere on-site confusion. He argued, "Repeating such a disaster, following the poor management during the last presidential election, is evidence of the NEC's chronic laxity in discipline," demanding the punishment of those responsible and personnel reshuffles.

He further stressed, "The entire process of South Korean election management must be redesigned from scratch, based on cutting-edge technology and thorough data prediction."

The Issue is Not 'Vote Count Results' but 'Guarantee of Voting Rights'

The core of this incident is not the victory or defeat of a specific candidate or the election results. If voters arriving at polling stations were unable to vote in a timely manner due to the state's lack of preparation, or had to wait for extended periods to exercise their right to vote, it constitutes a fundamental failure in election management.

Elections are not legitimized solely by their outcome. A normal election is one where voters can cast their ballots without obstruction at the designated time and place. The ballot paper shortage incident is an event where this basic premise was shaken on the ground.

Mayor Oh's statement is significant in that it frames this issue not as 'disputing the election' but as a matter of 'violation of the right to participate in politics' and 'election management responsibility.'

What is now needed is not political slogans, but the verification of facts. We need to ascertain why ballot papers were insufficient, where the prediction and distribution process went wrong, whether the additional delivery and on-site response were lawful and appropriate, and to what extent responsibility lies.

For the NEC to regain public trust, apologies alone are not enough. This incident has become a case that questions not just the issue of a single ballot paper, but how strictly the state guarantees the rights of its citizens to participate in politics.