President Lee Jae-myung criticized the ballot shortage as "an outrageous incident" at a news conference marking his first year in office held at the state guesthouse at Cheong Wa Dae on the 8th, saying it "wrecked high-tech Korea, exemplary Korea, in an instant."
Regarding the ongoing protests around Olympic Park, Lee said, "Watching young people raise structural issues, I thought my own sensitivity had dulled a lot," adding, "In a democratic republic, being unable to exercise the right to vote is, apart from the number of votes or the outcome, a very serious problem in itself." Lee also said of the young people who raised these issues, "They are truly precious and worthy of respect."
Lee said the National Election Commission is an independent body under the Constitution, so the executive branch cannot intervene. However, she said that regarding alleged crimes, she ordered a joint investigation team to be launched quickly to uncover the facts.
Lee said, "Because this is an issue involving a constitutionally independent body, rather than the National Assembly or the president acting alone, we decided to gather the heads of the five branches of government to hear views on how to approach problems that have arisen in the constitutional system," adding, "We are thinking of having the heads of the National Assembly, the judiciary, and the executive meet without the chair of the election commission."
Lee said, "This is not something to dismiss by asking whether it is another fraudulent election," adding, "We must respond with sensitivity and prepare countermeasures."