(3rd LD) Inspection of local election ballots stored at Seoul stadium ongoing for 7 hours

SEOUL, October 28 (Yonhap) -- Special counsel Lee Tae-han's team commenced an inspection of ballots stored at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Seoul on Wednesday, following an unprecedented shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections. As of Wednesday evening, roughly half of the 2.47 million ballots had been examined.

The investigation encompasses surveillance footage, potential irregularities related to the elections, and the security of ballot sorting machines. The handball gymnasium served as a vote counting center during the elections, currently housing ballots from Seoul's Songpa Ward, where protesters have blocked ballot removal, demanding accountability and a re-run of the elections.

The shortages, reported at numerous polling stations nationwide, caused significant public concern, disrupting voting at some stations and leaving certain voters unable to cast their ballots. Lee expressed hope that the ongoing inspection and investigation would address election management issues and restore public trust. The examination will mainly focus on security camera footage to identify potential intrusions, verify the number of ballots, and detect possible hacking of sorting machines.

Around 500 officials from the National Election Commission supported the team, alongside observers chosen by the National Assembly, lawmakers, and journalists. Approximately 300 protesters were present, and police deployed about 3,000 officers to maintain order. Although some observers were initially blocked for taking photos or using equipment, no major confrontations occurred.

Lee's team was established last month to investigate alleged misconduct in the election watchdog's handling of ballot papers and voter turnout data.