New National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, right, receives a potted orchid given by President Lee Jae Myung from presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik at the parliamentary building in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik on Tuesday pledged a swift parliamentary response to an unprecedented shortage of ballot papers that disrupted voting in parts of Seoul during last week's local elections.
Rep. Cho made the remarks in his meeting with presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik at the National Assembly, saying he takes the issue seriously, according to Jang Hyeon-ju, senior secretary of parliament for public communication.
"We regard the incident involving the National Election Commission as a grave issue, and the National Assembly will thoroughly and promptly carry out all possible measures," the assembly speaker was quoted as saying.
Kang echoed Cho's stance, describing the incident as a "serious" issue in which "citizens' voting rights — the very foundation of democracy — were infringed upon."
