President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a meeting with senior advisers held at the Blue House on June 4, 2026. (pool photo)
On Sunday, Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed his “deep regret as a Korean citizen and as the person in charge of the government” for the shortage of ballots at some polling stations during Korea’s local elections on Wednesday. “The National Election Commission seriously impeded Koreans in their exercise of the right to vote during the June 3 local elections. The accident itself was inexcusable, and the NEC’s subsequent response and public explanations have been inadequate,” Lee wrote on the social media platform X on Sunday.“Citizens’ right to vote is a constitutional right that cannot be restricted or infringed for any reason. This was a serious incident undermining the foundations of popular sovereignty,” the Korean president added.Lee asked the National Assembly to launch a parliamentary probe into the NEC’s botched handling of the election. The probe, Lee said, should aim to “fully and clearly explain the incident and take steps to prevent a recurrence.”In addition, Lee asked lawmakers to “discuss fundamental institutional reforms at the NEC.”The Korean president has also decided to set up a joint investigation by the police and prosecution service.“Considering the gravity of this incident, the government will be taking all available measures on an administrative level,” he said. “I’ve ordered the police and prosecutors to set up a joint task force to get to the bottom of this and identify the people responsible,” Lee said.
