Seoul Mayoral Election: Protests Over Ballot Shortage Continue, 350 People Surround Polling Station

(CNA correspondent Yang Qifang, Seoul, 4th) Although the results of the Seoul mayoral election and other major local elections in South Korea have been finalized, due to a dispute over ballot shortages, the ballot boxes at the 2nd polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, remain unable to be transported out. Protesters continue to block the entrance and claim the election is invalid.

According to Yonhap News Agency, as of noon today, approximately 350 people (an unofficial police estimate), including conservative supporters and other citizens, continue to surround the entrance of the 2nd polling station in Jamsil 7-dong to protest. The number of people on site, which had decreased from about 300 in the early morning to 170 in the morning, has increased again over time, preventing the ballots of about 2,000 voters from being transported to the counting center.

The protesters, who were initially chanting slogans in front of the polling station, brought plastic chairs around 10:30 a.m. and began a long-term sit-in protest. They waved South Korean and American flags and chanted slogans such as "Stop counting," "Invalid election," and "Dissolve the election commission."

Even though conservative People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon was re-elected as Seoul mayor, securing the capital, the tense atmosphere on site has not subsided. A YouTuber with a conservative leaning stated, "Even if Oh Se-hoon won, it doesn't mean we can accept a problematic election. The key issue is election fraud," and argued that the ballot boxes should be preserved as evidence.

Kim Beom-jin, Secretary General of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, explained on site, "We must first complete the confirmation of the vote count to determine the winner before we can proceed with legal procedures regarding the validity of the election." When Kim left the scene, some participants pushed and protested, causing a temporary commotion.

The report also mentioned that 13 staff members and election monitors who have been on duty since yesterday have been unable to eat properly. Around 10:30 a.m., election commission staff brought food and bottled water placed outside the building indoors. Additionally, to prevent conflict, police have deployed concentrated forces, with about 470 officers, including local police and riot police, on standby nearby.