President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration, held at the Blue House State Guest House on the 8th. Yonhap News

On the 8th, regarding the 6·3 local election ballot-paper shortage, President Lee Jae Myung said, “It completely wrecked, in an instant, everything about an exemplary democratic nation,” and added, “I reflect that perhaps it stemmed from a lack of sensitivity to popular sovereignty.”

At a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration held at the Blue House State Guest House on the same day, President Lee said, “(Regarding the ballot-paper shortage) I find the young people who point out the problem truly precious and worthy of respect,” making this remark.

President Lee said, “Using what is clearly untrue, for political purposes and through relentless agitation and indoctrination, as a means of building a camp, and the raising of the question, ‘How could one be unable to vote? In our Republic of Korea?’ are on completely different planes,” and added, “Watching mainly young people raise the issue, ‘Have I, too, not become much less sensitive?’(I thought).”

President Lee said, “This is not a matter of vote counts or outcomes; it is a very serious issue in and of itself. If you view it as questioning whether respect for popular sovereignty existed only in words and not in practice, then it is truly a serious problem,” and added, “Perhaps people like us have become desensitized; I also found myself reflecting that this may have been a lack of sensitivity to sovereignty.”