A special committee to investigate state administration is held at the National Assembly on Wednesday. (Yonhap) South Korea's rival parties continued wrangling over the June 3 local elections, clashing over an election recount during a special committee meeting at the National Assembly on Wednesday.Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea demanded a recount for the 2.47 million votes cast by residents of Songpa-gu before the end of July as planned, while lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party questioned the validity of the plan.Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Youn Kun-young claimed the main opposition party recanted on its promise to hold a bipartisan election recount once the rival parties reach a consensus on how a special counsel investigating election authorities should be nominated.Democratic Party Reps. Yang Boo-nam and Kim Yong-man claimed that the parliamentary committee recount will be used as key evidence in the special counsel's probe.People Power Party Rep. Joo Jin-woo claimed that a new recount led by the special counsel would be inevitable even if the committee holds a recount before the launch of the special counsel investigation.People Power Party Reps. Choi Bo-yun and Park Soo-min said the committee should confer with the special counsel over how to conduct the recount.Polling stations in Songpa-gu suffered the worst ballot shortage in the country due to botched election management by the National Election Commission, triggering protests for nearly two months after the June 3 local elections.Protesters have blocked the entrance to a gymnasium in Olympic Park by surrounding the building, in which 2.47 million votes are stored.People Power Party Chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok has consistently called for a June 3 election rerun and a complete overhaul of the election system, claiming a violation of the people's right to vote.The rival parties agreed on how to recommend candidates for a special counsel investigation on Tuesday. President Lee Jae Myung will appoint one of the candidates.
Rival parties at odds over election recount
South Korea's rival parties continued wrangling over the June 3 local elections, clashing over an election recount during a special committee meeting at the Nat









