People protesting at Jamsil for a 'rigged election rerun'. ⒸKorea-US-Japan Daily  

The 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, held on June 3, 2026, were a scene of unprecedented 'total failure and violation of sovereignty' in the constitutional history of the Republic of Korea.

The right to vote, the most sacred right guaranteed by the Constitution, was brutally trampled upon due to the absurd and incompetent situation of 'ballot paper shortages' that occurred at approximately 50 polling stations nationwide.

The sight of voters turning away from polling stations and the unprecedented suspension of voting has left the entire nation and overseas Koreans in shock and anger.

Is this truly the reality of South Korea's election management, which boasted world-class standards!

The election commission's childish excuse that more voters than expected showed up is a cowardly pretext to cover up dereliction of duty and a direct challenge to national sovereignty.

The corruption and incompetence of the National Election Commission were already predictable.

For a long time, despite being a state institution funded by the taxpayers' money, the election commission has become a hotbed of 'daddy's opportunities,' hiring the children of its executives in a hereditary manner, and has reigned as a supra-legal body above the law, refusing legitimate audits by the Constitutional Court and the Board of Audit and Inspection.

The deep-seated corruption and moral decay from within have ultimately led to the worst disaster: 'election management failure,' the very heart of South Korean democracy.

In response, university campuses across the country are also in uproar. Student councils of numerous universities nationwide, including Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, and Ewha Womans University, have declared resistance in the name of youth through large-format posters and statements, saying, "Do not let the democracy built with blood by our ancestors wither due to incompetence."

Now that even the young university students, the future of the nation, have risen up indignantly, we, the older generation and all citizens, cannot stand idly by and watch the collapse of democracy as if it were a distant spectacle.

The Federation of Buddhist for the Defense of the Republic of Korea (Bulchong), along with its provincial chapter members, all Buddhists nationwide, and civic society organizations, do not see this incident as a mere 'mistake' or 'administrative error.'

This is a grave 'criminal act' that directly violates the Public Official Election Act and deprives citizens of their right to vote. This is not an issue that can be resolved by simply dismissing the election commission chairman and making superficial personnel changes.

We urge all citizens to awaken and strongly demand the following from the government and judicial authorities to restore the fundamentals of democracy and rectify the collapsed constitutional order!

First, the prosecution and police must immediately conduct a full investigation and bring to justice the leadership and officials of the election commission who caused the ballot paper shortage, on charges of dereliction of duty and abuse of power!

Second, to break the chain of deep-rooted corruption that has accumulated within the election commission over a long period, including employment inheritance and refusal of audits, a parliamentary investigation without sanctuary and an independent counsel (special prosecutor) must be immediately introduced!

Third, the current election commission organization, which has lost the trust of the people, must be reformed at the level of dissolution, and legal and institutional measures must be immediately prepared to restore the sovereignty of voters whose constitutional right to vote has been violated!

Dear citizens, and our overseas compatriots! The flower of democracy is the election, and the lifeblood of elections is fairness and transparency. A society where elections are distrusted leads only to dictatorship and chaos. If the sovereign people are not vigilant, state power will inevitably become corrupt and incompetent.

We must all respond to the cries of young university students across the country. If we do not uproot all corruption within the election commission and normalize elections during this opportunity, there will be no future for the Republic of Korea.

Let us all unite as one to create a great wave to protect democracy! We will never stop until the day justice triumphs and the rule of law is established.

June 8, 2026

Park Hee-do, Standing Representative of the Federation of Buddhist for the Defense of the Republic of Korea; Im Seon-gyo, Vice Representative; Kim Hyeong-tae, Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter Chairman; Shin Su-gil, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Federation Chairman; Jo Seong-hee, Jeonbuk Provincial Chapter Chairman; Kim Myeong-ju, Gyeongnam Provincial Chapter Chairman; Kim Yeong-an, Gangwon Provincial Chapter Chairman; Kim Yeong-gi, Daejeon City Chapter Chairman; Jo Yong-hyeon, Chungbuk Provincial Chapter Chairman; Kim Yong-ju, Busan City Chapter Chairman; Seo Byeong-su, Ulsan City Chapter Chairman