For more than 22 hours since the ‘ballot paper shortage’ erupted, around 200 people have been gathering near the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, repeatedly shouting “re-vote”. The roughly 2,000 ballots cast at this polling station still remain uncounted. There were also clashes as an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission tried to persuade them.

At around 4 p.m. on the 4th, in front of this polling station located inside an apartment complex of about 1,800 households, a crowd of 150 to 200 repeatedly chanted “rigged election”, “re-vote”, and “Down with dictatorship”. Among the demonstrators, some stood at the front and said, “Noh Tae-ak (chairman of the National Election Commission) should come and declare the election null and void” and “President Yoon Suk-yeol said we must eradicate election fraud and take the country back.” The emcee said, “If we are to win, we must have evidence,” adding, “I hope not a single person stays away; everyone should come to the site to defend your sovereignty.” Behind the polling station, 10 to 20 people sat to prevent the ballot boxes from being taken out.

A man in his 50s from Cheongju said, “Whether it is Oh Se-hoon or Han Dong-hoon, it is all a scripted play,” adding, “The only thing left is a people’s revolution.” Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of Liberty and Innovation, who visited twice, at dawn and around noon, also encouraged the demonstrators, saying, “We are trying to block that (ballot) box where our sovereignty is being stolen” and “Because you are here, I will continue to fight.” One man, holding a loudspeaker, shouted, “Our unit (Election Fraud and Corruption Prevention Unit) has taken all the photos that prove a rigged election.”

Some left, saying, “Since Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been elected, we should stop protesting.” A woman in her 40s who lives in the apartment complex said, “(The ballot paper shortage) is outrageous, but for Mayor Oh to be formally certified as elected, we should not be blocking it like that,” adding, “We need to sort out the situation and then either hold people accountable or impose punishment later.” Ms. Choi, in her 60s, also said, “We have won, and the ballots need to be counted for any next steps to proceed, so the demonstrators must be frustrated, too.”

Resident complaints are increasing over noise and parking issues, but neither the election commission nor the apartment side has any clear solution. Lee (14), a resident of the apartment complex, said, “It has been too noisy since last night, and they are still here even now as I am coming home from school,” adding, “Our dog keeps barking; I just wish they would leave.” An official at the apartment management office said, “With the demonstrators present, parking facilities are insufficient, so we keep receiving reports of cars parked outside the complex being towed or ticketed for illegal parking,” adding, “Because of the noise, people cannot sleep and are suffering significant psychological harm, and calls keep coming into the management office.”

At around 11:15 a.m., Kim Beom-jin, secretary-general of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, visited and tried to persuade the demonstrators, but they physically blocked him, shouting, “Where are you going?” In the process, one demonstrator even grabbed Kim by the collar. There was also friction within the crowd between those who wanted to let him pass and those who wanted to block him. The ballot boxes inside the polling station still have not been taken out. The National Election Commission estimated that these boxes contain the ballots of about 2,000 people.

The Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission said, “We are discussing countermeasures regarding the prolonged protest, but nothing has been decided,” adding, “We will share information as soon as a decision is made.”