The National Election Commission said on the 8th that it found 91 polling stations nationwide where ballot shortages occurred during the main vote of the 9th nationwide local elections held on the 3rd.
The figure is 41 more than the number announced by Election Policy Director Yun Jae-su of the National Election Commission in a briefing on the 5th. The number of polling stations where voting was suspended due to ballot shortages also increased by four from the previous announcement to 26.
The number of polling stations that were expected to run short of ballots and were sent additional ballots rose to 140, up 73 from the previous survey. Of these, the additional ballots sent were not used at 49 polling stations.
By region, the polling stations that were sent additional ballots were as follows: ▲Seoul 53 ▲Gyeonggi 36 ▲Incheon 18 ▲Busan 9 ▲Daegu 7 ▲South Gyeongsang 5 ▲South Jeolla 4 ▲Ulsan 3 ▲Gangwon 2 ▲North Chungcheong, North Jeolla, and North Gyeongsang one each.
An official at the National Election Commission said, "After surveying all the managers and clerks who worked at polling stations over the weekend, the number of polling stations with ballot shortages increased compared with the previous announcement," and added, "We will additionally check whether there are any polling stations that may have run short."
The National Election Commission launched a "committee to investigate the truth behind the ballot shortage incident" that day to determine the cause and responsibility for the ballot shortage. The committee is scheduled to operate from the 10th to the 19th, but the activity period may be extended.
The committee consists of six outside figures recommended by civic groups, the legal community, the media, and academia. Attorney Cho Hyun-uk, a former president of the Korean Women Lawyers Association, will serve as the Chairperson. The committee will investigate the entire process, including ballot printing and allocation, and supply management.