As of around 8:55 p.m. on the 3rd, the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was unable to close due to protests by district council members and residents. Kim Tae-uk

On the 3rd, the main voting day of the June 3 local elections, a shortage of ballot papers occurred at 17 polling stations in the Seoul metropolitan area, and it was found that some locations were still voting after 9 p.m. Four voters cast ballots even after 8 p.m.

At around 8:55 p.m. that day, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission held a briefing in front of the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, stating, “We have identified 14 voters who received queue tickets but have not yet voted,” and added, “We announced via broadcast that they should come by 10 p.m., and if they do not arrive by then, we will close the poll.” The official added that the closing time was decided by a resolution of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission.

Even after 6 p.m., the time when voting normally ends, in front of the polling station Lee Hye-sook, the People Power Party candidate for Songpa District Council, and several residents continued to protest, saying, “There are people who took queue tickets and left; until when can they still vote?” Residents grew angry, saying, “How can it make sense that you cannot even determine the number of people?” and “Invalid, invalid, invalidate the vote.” About a dozen police officers stood by, and around 20 residents of a nearby apartment complex watched from the side. As the protests continued, the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station kept its doors closed without being able to declare the poll closed.

At this polling station, even after 8 p.m., four residents with queue tickets completed voting. At around 8:10 p.m., a couple with queue tickets appeared and, after protests by candidate Lee and others, proceeded to vote. Afterwards, there was a broadcast in a nearby apartment complex stating, “Those who have received queue tickets again, come out and vote.” Then, at around 9:05 p.m., two additional voters appeared and voted. Even after 9 p.m., about 20 residents in front of the polling station continued to protest, saying, “Bogus election commission, invalidate the vote.”