Statements and wall posters condemning the "ballot shortage crisis" that occurred during the 9th nationwide local elections held simultaneously (the June 3 local elections) are spreading rapidly across university districts nationwide. Students are defining the crisis as an infringement on suffrage and a failure of election management, and are urging a thorough investigation and measures to prevent a recurrence.
However, within university circles, there is a growing call to draw a line between this issue and the "rigged election theory" being raised in its wake. They say criticism of election management failures and claims of manipulating election results are entirely different matters.
◇ 65% of statements and wall posters demand measures to prevent a recurrence
According to "A Vote's Record" on the 9th, 361 related statements and wall posters were posted at 186 universities nationwide over six days after the ballot shortage crisis erupted. "A Vote's Record" is a site that compiles condemnation statements and wall posters at each university related to the ballot shortage crisis.
This movement spread quickly starting on the 4th, when the general student councils of Kyunghee University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies issued wall posters condemning the "infringement on suffrage." It then spread across campuses as not only general student councils but also college student councils, departments, small groups, and individuals issued statements and wall posters in succession.
An analysis by "A Vote's Record" of the demands contained in the 361 statements and wall posters found that, on a multiple-count basis, "measures to prevent a recurrence" was most frequent at 65% (233 items). That was followed by condemnation of the election commission and authorities at 51% (183), fact-finding at 39% (141), and punishment or resignation of those responsible at 33% (119). Demands for a rerun election or revote were limited to 6% (20). This is interpreted to mean that the campus community's concerns are focused more on normalizing the election management system and clarifying responsibility than on simple political slogans.
In fact, many statements issued by universities said the current crisis should not be used as fodder for political strife. In a statement on the 5th, the Council of College Student Council Presidents at Seoul National University said, "The current situation, in which the basic rights of representative democracy are being obstructed, must never become the subject of political strife, nor be used as a tool for it." It added, "We also do not agree with claims that, on the basis of this crisis, foment distrust in past election results and the democratic election system."
The Central Emergency Response Committee of the Korea University General Student Council also said, "Beyond political strife, we seek to hold accountable the election management failures that shook the rights of the sovereign people." The Sogang University General Student Council likewise said in a wall poster, "Political circles and all sectors of society must stop using this issue as a tool for political strife."
◇ "Election mismanagement and manipulation of election results are different issues"
There is also a move on campuses to distance themselves from the "rigged election theory," which suggests that outside interference manipulated the election results. On the previous day, Seoul National University students held a "joint action" in front of the student union building and argued, "The state-of-the-nation declaration by far-right groups seeks to spread a rigged election conspiracy theory by exploiting the public's legitimate anger and to expand their influence on campuses." The wall poster was signed by 174 current students and alumni.
The wall poster said, "The election commission's mismanagement of the election rightly deserves condemnation and must be followed by a thorough investigation and punishment of those responsible, but asserting a rigged election in the sense of state-agency manipulation of election results is an entirely different matter."
At Konkuk University on the same day, a joint signature drive began for a statement titled "Konkuk University members opposing the far-right's agitation exploiting legitimate distrust of the election commission." In a wall poster, they said, "Election mismanagement gave far-right forces a pretext for a rigged election conspiracy theory," but added, "University members who truly support democracy must neither be deceived by far-right camouflage nor respond to their appeals." More than 100 people were said to have participated so far.
A similar trend is evident around Olympic Park in Songpa District, Seoul, where protests against the ballot shortage crisis continue. Among rally participants, there were reports of drawing a line by limiting slogans to "rerun election" rather than "rigged election."
Experts interpret this phenomenon as an outpouring of young people's awareness of an infringement on suffrage. At the same time, they say these students strongly reject having their anger consumed by particular political forces or conspiracy theories.
Lee Byunghoon, emeritus professor of sociology at Chung-Ang University, said, "The essence of this issue is that social frustration and a sense of deprivation felt by the younger generation were expressed through the election commission crisis," adding, "Young people are pushing back against outside political forces, which are distinct from their own stance, entering rally spaces."
◇ simultaneous state-of-the-nation declarations by general student councils at 12 universities nationwide
The campus movement is expected to continue with a joint state-of-the-nation declaration that day. At 6 p.m. on the 10th, general student councils at 12 universities nationwide will hold rallies simultaneously on each campus to mark the anniversary of the June 10 Democratization Movement and will release their state-of-the-nation declarations. Participating universities include Konkuk University, Korea University, Kyunghee University, Sogang University, Seoul National University, University of Seoul, Sungkyunkwan University, Soongsil University, Yonsei University, Chonnam National University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Hongik University.
The state-of-the-nation declarations they will release are said to call for a fact-finding investigation and punishment of those responsible through a parliamentary inquiry and a special prosecutor, measures to remedy infringements of basic national rights, structural reform of the National Election Commission, and the establishment of a citizen-participation reform oversight body.