Notice of Chonnam National University Student General Assembly [Captured from the official Instagram page of the Chonnam National University Student Council] 

A growing chorus of condemnation against the National Election Commission (NEC) is spreading across university campuses nationwide following the ballot paper shortages that occurred during the 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections.

Student councils and representative bodies from universities in most regions—including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Chungbuk, Gwangju, Jeonnam, Busan, Gyeongnam, and Jeju—have issued a series of critical statements, calling for a thorough investigation into the infringement of voting rights and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.

In Gwangju on the 9th, the Chonnam National University Student Council convened a student general assembly at the Gwangju campus starting at 4:00 PM to discuss collective action to denounce the NEC.

The student general assembly serves as the highest decision-making body in which students participate directly. For the meeting to be valid, at least one-tenth of the 16,661 undergraduate students at the Gwangju campus (1,667 students) must attend, and a majority vote is required to pass an agenda.

The student council stated, "Let us raise our voices together to restore the damaged democracy and reclaim our lost suffrage, reflecting on the history and spirit of democracy that Chonnam National University has upheld."

Students from Chosun University, Mokpo National University, and Sunchon National University also issued statements, demanding a thorough investigation, a full-scale audit, and increased transparency across the entire election management process.

The Central Steering Committee, a representative body of Jeju National University students, issued a position statement that day, urging, "The NEC must apologize to the affected voters and prepare convincing follow-up measures," and added, "Political parties must also step up to reform the electoral system and establish preventive measures."

Statement by Pusan National University Student Council [Captured from the Student Council's Social Media (SNS)]

The university community in Busan has also responded strongly with statements, campus posters, and small-scale protests.

In a statement titled, "We ask from the campus of the Bu-Ma Democratic Protests: Is the NEC untainted before democracy?" the Pusan National University Central Steering Committee pointed out, "The legitimacy of an election is established only when every voter’s ballot is guaranteed to be equal," adding, "This situation should not be dismissed as a simple failure of prediction or an administrative error."

Student councils at Pukyong National University and Kyungsung University also criticized the incident as a violation of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights, while the Dong-A University student council demanded measures to restore the rights of voters who were unable to cast their ballots and an audit of the budget execution process for ballot paper printing.

Student representative bodies in the Gyeongnam region also issued successive statements.

The Gyeongsang National University Student Council referenced the history of the June Democracy Movement of 1987, rebuking the NEC by saying, "They have planted seeds of distrust in the fairness of elections. This is a violation of constitutional values that transcends partisan interests and an insult to the voters by the NEC."

Student councils at Kyungnam University, Changwon National University, and Inje University also argued that the incident is "not a matter of specific parties or political interests, but a matter of fundamental democratic principles and the protection of citizens' rights," and that it is "a grave issue that cannot be dismissed as an administrative mistake," calling for an inspection of the election management process and the accountability of those responsible.

The Yeongsan University student council alleged that a citizen suffered injuries leading to an unconscious state during the process of police intervention, and demanded that the police also investigate the truth of the incident and prepare measures to protect victims and prevent recurrence.

Statements condemning the ballot shortage from Gyeongsang National University and Yeongsan University student councils (from left) [Captured from each student council's SNS]

In the Chungbuk region, student representatives from Chungbuk National University, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju University, Korea National University of Transportation, Seowon University, and Cheongju National University of Education issued a statement urging transparent disclosure of the extent of the infringement on suffrage and the response to it.

They also emphasized that the NEC should respond with responsible dialogue and verification rather than suppressing legitimate public concerns with physical force.

Students from universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Incheon and Gyeonggi, also issued statements one after another to hold the authorities accountable for the election management failure.

Student councils at Inha University, University of Incheon, Gyeongin National University of Education, and Gachon University’s Medical Campus emphasized in their respective statements that they "do not represent the interests of any specific political party" and "exclude political bias," aiming to prevent the situation from deteriorating into partisan strife.

Students from Kyonggi University, Ajou University, Gachon University, Dankook University, Hanyang University ERICA Campus, Suwon University, Yongin University, and Hyupsung University also joined in declarations of the current political situation.

In Seoul, since the 5th, the National Association of Student Councils (NASC), a coalition of about 100 university student councils, has also condemned the NEC for dereliction of duty, demanding the accountability of those responsible and an immediate overhaul of the election management system.

Student autonomous bodies at Kyonggi University, Kyung Hee University, Korea University, Dongguk University, Myongji University, Sogang University, Seoul National University, University of Seoul, Sungkyunkwan University, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies also issued statements, voicing a unified criticism of the ballot paper shortage.