Photo : Yonhap/ Cheong Wa Dae Press Photo Corps
President Lee Jae Myung on Monday met with top government officials to discuss ballot shortages during the June 3 local election.
During the meeting at the presidential office, Lee called the ballot shortages a very serious problem and stressed the need to get to the bottom of the matter and to hold the perpetrators responsible.
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik said he, too, regards the shortages as a grave incident and that the National Assembly will pursue a parliamentary investigation.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de expressed deep concern that some people weren’t able to exercise their right to vote due to a lack of ballots and vowed to safeguard the fairness of elections and people’s rights.
Constitutional Court President Kim Sang-hwan stressed the need to uncover the truth behind the shortages, conduct legal assessments of the findings and thoroughly review and improve the nation’s election systems and their operation.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Monday’s meeting serves as a joint pledge to the people by those in charge of the nation, government and constitutional institutions to address the incident.
National Election Commission Chairperson Rho Tae-ak, who has offered to step down, did not attend Monday’s meeting.