Rho Tae-ak (L), former head of the National Election Commission, bows to Yoon Sang-hyun, chief of a parliamentary special committee during a plenary session of the committee tasked with investigating an unprecedented shortage of ballots reported during the 03 June local elections, at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, 23 June 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 19 (Asia Today) -- A South Korean parliamentary committee investigating a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections is divided over whether to publicly recount about 2.48 million ballots stored at a counting center in Seoul.
The ruling Democratic Party argues that the recount should begin promptly because establishing a special counsel investigation would take time.
The opposition People Power Party says lawmakers should first pursue legislation authorizing a special counsel to determine who was responsible for the ballot shortage.
The National Assembly's special investigation committee is considering a public recount of 2,476,661 ballots stored at the Olympic Park counting center in Seoul's Songpa District.
