Photo : YONHAP News
National Election Commission Chairperson Rho Tae-ak is set to apologize to the South Korean people on Friday after voting centers in parts of Seoul fell short of ballots during Wednesday’s local elections.
According to the election watchdog, Rho will issue a public apology at NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at 4 p.m., then give a press briefing on the situation following the ballot fiasco.
There is speculation that Rho may announce plans to step down as the election watchdog faces a strong backlash from both rival political parties.
Ballot papers ran short at some voting centers in Seoul’s Songpa, Gangnam and Gwangjin districts, forcing voters to wait in line to cast their ballots even after vote counting had started.
At a voting center in the Jamsil area of Songpa District, voting was extended by four hours to 10 p.m. for those who’d received waiting numbers, which eventually sparked a protest.
Protesters alleged election rigging and blocked the removal of ballot boxes.