President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) President Lee Jae Myung on Monday said he would seek views from the heads of South Korea's key constitutional institutions over ballot shortages reported during last week’s local elections, while drawing a line between the incident and claims of election fraud.The remarks came amid growing concerns over unprecedented ballot shortages at several polling stations in Seoul, Incheon and other areas during the local elections held Wednesday.Asked what additional measures would be taken, Lee called the incident “absurd,” saying it had damaged “South Korea as a model democracy.”The president made the remarks during a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration at Cheong Wa Dae’s National Election Commission.Meanwhile, he said the National Election Commission’s constitutional independence limits direct intervention by the executive branch, adding that his administration has almost no authority over its operations.“Rather than having me or the National Assembly act separately, I plan to listen to the views of the heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as the Constitutional Court, on how we should approach this,” Lee said.The president also expressed respect for young people who have protested over the ballot shortages, saying their concerns should not be dismissed simply because the issue has been mixed with broader election fraud claims.At the same time, Lee drew a distinction between election fraud allegations and concerns over voters being denied the chance to cast ballots.“There is a clear difference between using constant agitation and indoctrination for political purposes and raising the question, ‘How could people be unable to vote?’” Lee said.The president said the failure to ensure voting rights was serious, regardless of whether it affected the election outcome. J