Kim Jeong-cheol, a Reform Party senior supreme council member who ran for Seoul mayor in the 9th nationwide local elections held simultaneously (the June 3 local elections), filed a motion with the court to preserve evidence related to the ballot paper shortage.
According to legal sources on the 8th, Kim filed for preservation of evidence including ballot boxes, ballots, and poll books at the Seoul Eastern District Court at around 3 p.m. that day with Cheon Ha-ram, the Reform Party floor leader. The Seoul Eastern District Court assigned the case to single-judge Civil Division 51 Judge Kim Ji-yeon.
Kim wrote on social media (SNS) that "ballots, records, and even the National Election Commission's internal communications and footage disappear over time," adding, "We will first protect the evidence of the truth."
Kim added, "Regardless of who won or lost, elections earn trust through procedure, not results," and said, "We will hold those responsible to the end so that a citizen's single vote is never discarded again."
After filing the motion to preserve evidence with the court, Kim also said, "As public suspicions are mounting over this unprecedented case of disenfranchisement, we expect the court to render an active and swift decision to resolve them."
Candidates or parties that ran in the election may ask a court to preserve evidence such as ballot boxes, ballots, and poll books. If the court grants the motion, it takes measures such as sealing the evidence and storing it in a separate location. It can later be used as evidence in an election lawsuit.
On the June 3 local election day, a shortage of ballot papers occurred at 50 polling stations nationwide, including the Jamsil 7-dong No. 2 polling station in Songpa District, Seoul. The National Election Commission anticipated that places with high early voting rates would have lower turnout on election day and allocated a relatively smaller quantity compared with the population, which caused the problem.