PPP chief calls for nationwide rerun of local elections, vows special bill

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok called Tuesday for a nationwide rerun of the June 3 local elections over a ballot shortage crisis, announcing plans to push a special bill to make that possible. He said the party would also pursue a special prosecutor investigation, a parliamentary investigation, and election appeals alongside requests for evidence preservation.

"Holding a nationwide rerun as quickly as possible is the best way to resolve the current confusion," Jang said at a press conference at the National Assembly. "I will move swiftly to advance internal party discussions so that a special bill calling for an immediate rerun can be introduced."

Jang said the National Election Commission initially reported ballot shortages at only 12 polling stations in Seoul, but that figure later climbed to 67 sites nationwide and then to 91. He added that 140 polling stations had required additional ballot supplies. "The situation has reached a point where it is difficult to trust the election commission's own announcements," he said.

Jang also raised broader doubts about the integrity of the electoral process, citing vote-count results from several areas.

He claimed that in the early voting tallies for Songdo 1 and 2 dong in the Incheon mayoral race, People Power Party candidate Yoo Jeong-bok and Democratic Party of Korea candidate Park Chan-dae received an identical number of votes. He said the same phenomenon — two candidates receiving equal vote totals — appeared in multiple precincts in the Gwangju-South Jeolla Province integrated mayoral race as well.

"Ultimately, there is no answer other than a special prosecutor," Jang said. "We need to accelerate the push for both a parliamentary investigation and a special prosecutor."

Jang also extended an offer to Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae, who has indicated support for a special prosecutor. "Since he has said he agrees to a special prosecutor, let's meet today and discuss moving forward with a special prosecutor act," Jang said.

He said the party would immediately file election appeals and apply for evidence preservation orders.

"If we simply wait for a special prosecutor, evidence could be damaged or contaminated," Jang said. "We will move quickly through the necessary legal procedures."

Jang identified the early voting system as one of the root causes of the crisis.

"The early voting system should be abolished and replaced with an extended in-person voting period," he said, adding that if a rerun is held, the Public Official Election Act should be amended promptly to allow it to proceed without early voting.

Asked whether the call for a nationwide rerun was aimed at specific regions or winning candidates, Jang rejected that framing. "Because violations of citizens' voting rights occurred across the country, this is not a matter involving any single candidate," he said. "Our position is that the local elections themselves must be held again."

Later Tuesday evening, Jang visited Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, to meet with protesters who had been blockading a vote-counting site. He posed for photographs with participants while holding picket signs reading "Fraudulent election — hold a rerun" and "Same-day voting, hand-counted ballots."