In the wake of the June 3 local elections ballot-paper shortage, criticism is mounting that the National Election Commission engaged in poor administration. Although the commission issued a public apology, it appears unlikely to avoid criticism from civil society that its shoddy election management has once again provided a pretext that fuels election-fraud conspiracy theories.

According to interviews by the Kyunghyang Shinmun on the 4th, citizens agreed that the commission, which betrayed public trust through the ballot-paper shortage, must be held accountable. Office worker Bae (36) said, “Since the endlessly raised suspicions of election fraud became one of the key factors that triggered the unprecedented crises of martial law and impeachment, the election commission should have made it its top priority to clear the stain of election fraud by conducting this election fairly and impeccably,” adding, “This incident instead lent weight to the claims of election-fraud advocates and left many citizens wondering whether there had been actual wrongdoing, which is deplorable and even feels like a betrayal.”

Office worker Lee (34) said, “Regardless of the outcome, this election lost credibility and legitimacy due to the commission’s poor management, so a discussion on a revote is necessary,” adding, “Ruling and opposition parties and political leaders should acknowledge the commission’s incompetence and move to a comprehensive overhaul of the election-management system, including dissolving the commission.” Graduate student Kim (27) said, “The commission has effectively provided kindling to election-fraud conspiracy theorists,” and added, “Even now, it must recognize the gravity of the situation and prepare measures to restore trust.”

Major university districts in Seoul also saw moves condemning the incident. On online communities at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University, criticism continued, calling it “an incident in which citizens’ suffrage was infringed upon by the incompetence of a state institution, shaking the foundations of democracy,” and “a serious defect that effectively deprived citizens of the constitutionally guaranteed right to vote.” At Yonsei University, a signature drive began urging a student council response regarding the ballot-paper shortage. On Seoul National University’s Everytime, at about 9:28 p.m. the previous day, a poll asking about ‘whether a re-election is desired’ was posted. As of 3 p.m. that day, 288 people had participated, and 92% (265 students) answered ‘a re-election must be held’.

Park Tae-hoon, preparatory chair of the Progressive Party’s National University Students Committee, wrote on X, “What is most frightening and infuriating is that the ballot-paper shortage has become yet another piece of fodder for the election-fraud conspiracy camp,” adding, “The commission’s incompetence has effectively handed weapons directly to monsters gnawing away at democracy.” He continued, urging, “Immediately dismiss NEC Chairperson Noh Tae-ak and, after a fact-finding investigation, severely punish those responsible.” The Justice Party also said in a statement the previous day, “At a critical moment when the roots of an insurrectionary force must be eradicated and conspiracists expelled entirely, it is deeply regrettable that such an incident occurred,” calling for Chair Noh Tae-ak’s resignation.

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy issued a statement the same day saying, “Due to the commission’s lax election-office management, a situation has arisen in which voters’ political rights have been undermined at the most fundamental level,” and added, “Through a thorough fact-finding investigation, it must be made crystal clear why such an absurd incident occurred, and appropriate accountability must be exacted from those responsible.” It continued, “Although this incident is a grave mistake by the commission, it is far from the so-called ‘election fraud’ claimed by some,” while also saying, “Nevertheless, a thorough fact-finding effort is needed to preempt such disputes.”

Amid the ballot-paper shortage, the slogans of supporters of the election-fraud narrative who gathered the previous day at the Jamsil 7-dong polling station and in front of the National Election Commission in Gwacheon spread to ‘Yoon Again’ and grew increasingly radical.

In front of the Jamsil polling station, about 100 people gathered through the afternoon, shouting “invalidate the election” and “Yoon Again,” blocking the transfer of ballot boxes. The protests by election-fraud demonstrators in front of the National Election Commission swelled at one point to as many as 1,200, according to a police estimate. Mos Tan, a professor at Liberty University in the United States, and Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of Freedom and Innovation, also took part. Far-right YouTuber Jeon Han-gil, a former Korean history instructor, took the stage and claimed, “Because the June 3 local elections were 100% election fraud, both victories and defeats are meaningless,” adding, “The commission has been committing election fraud for over 20 years, and as the saying goes, a long tail gets caughtthe evidence clearly emerged last night.”

According to the commission, the previous day’s in-person voting saw ballot-paper shortages at a total of 14 polling stations, including in Songpa-gu and Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The commission said, “We deeply apologize for causing confusion and inconvenience in the exercise of your political rights due to ballot-paper shortages at some polling stations,” and added, “We will do our utmost to uncover the facts and prepare measures to prevent a recurrence.”