President Lee Jae-myung said about the "shortage of ballot papers" at 14 polling stations in Seoul during the June 3 local elections, "Relevant agencies must use all the powers and responsibilities the administration has to clearly reveal why the problem occurred and, if there is anyone who should be held accountable, hold them clearly to account." The Blue House had initially said it was "an issue for the National Election Commission to address," but it appears to have adjusted its tone in light of the seriousness of the matter.
Lee presided over a senior secretaries meeting at the Blue House on the 4th and said, "I express very deep regret that there were unacceptable lapses in election management, which must be carried out with utmost rigor in a democratic republic." Lee also said, "Promptly prepare reliable and appropriate measures so that not even a sliver of the people's suffrage is harmed again."
Earlier, around 10:20 p.m. the previous night, the Blue House issued only a brief statement on the incident, saying it was "an issue for the National Election Commission to address." Because the commission is an independent constitutional body, not part of the executive branch, the intent was that it was not a matter for the Blue House to intervene by ordering inspections or punishment of those responsible. Lee, who had routinely posted directly on X (formerly Twitter) from detailed domestic issues to diplomatic critiques, did not post anything particular that day.
Subsequently, a media notice in the name of Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung was issued around 11:45 p.m. It said, "As a constitutional body that guarantees the people's suffrage, the National Election Commission should take responsible steps to ensure there are no disruptions to the exercise of voting rights by some local residents and to the ballot counting process." As calls grew for halting the vote and for reruns and criticism mounted that the Blue House was shifting blame for an unfavorable issue, the tone was ratcheted up a notch.
It also said, "The Blue House is closely monitoring the sequence of events." On the morning of the 4th, with People Power Party Seoul mayor-elect Oh Se-hoon overtaking Democratic Party candidate Jeong Won-ho at the last minute of the count to win, Lee publicly mentioned "punishing those responsible."
Lee also commented on the election results. "Regardless of how fierce the competition was during the elections, the ruling and opposition parties alike are partners who must represent the sovereign people to protect their lives and carve out a better future for the nation," Lee said. "The government will humbly heed the will of the people embodied in the local elections and actively cooperate with the newly elected local governments, regardless of party affiliation."
Meanwhile, on the day before the June 3 local elections and the National Assembly by-elections, voting was halted at 14 polling stations in Seoul, including Songpa, Gangnam, Gwangjin, and Dongjak, after ballot papers ran out. Some voters gave up and went home. Heo Cheol-hun, secretary general of the National Election Commission, issued a public apology at around 9 p.m. at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, acknowledging poor management, saying, "Some polling stations ran out of papers due to higher-than-expected turnout."