President Lee expresses 'deep regret' over ballot shortages at local elections

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday expressed "deep regret" over ballot shortages at some polling stations during Wednesday's June 3 local elections, saying the lapses were "difficult to accept" in a democratic republic where election management must be held to the highest standard.

Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung conveyed the president's remarks at a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae. She said Lee stressed that all state institutions have an obligation to ensure there is "not the slightest gap" in the exercise of citizens' sacred right to vote. Lee also directed relevant agencies to use all authority and responsibility at the administration's disposal to clearly identify the causes of the problems and hold those accountable where accountability is warranted.

Asked whether the president's reference to using the administration's authority implied direct sanctions against the National Election Commission, Kang said it did not. "The meaning is that the election commission should take this matter very seriously and move on its own to conduct a review and take whatever follow-up measures are necessary," she said. She added that Cheong Wa Dae is "closely and sternly monitoring the situation."

The National Election Commission said ballot shortages were reported at 14 polling stations as of 6:20 p.m. Wednesday — 12 in Songpa-gu, one in Gangnam-gu and one in Gwangjin-gu, all in Seoul.

At a senior ministerial meeting Thursday, Lee also ordered officials to ensure preparations for the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city proceed without disruption. He called for a successful launch of what he described as "the first-ever merger of a metropolitan city and province in the history of local autonomy."

Kang said the meeting also heard a report on deepening cooperation between local and central government, with the administration's governing philosophy of "local priority" as its foundation. The report called for treating local governments as partners in national governance during the ninth round of elected local administrations and making central-local cooperation substantive in order to improve residents' quality of life.

The South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city, formed by merging South Jeolla Province and Gwangju Metropolitan City, is set to officially launch on July 1. Democratic Party of Korea candidate Min Hyeong-bae was elected its inaugural mayor in Wednesday's local elections.