South Korean police moved ballot boxes from Seoul's Jamsil-7-dong to a counting site Friday morning after the boxes were blocked for over a day [1].
The delayed count represents a significant disruption in the electoral process, requiring police intervention and political pressure to ensure the ballots reached the official counting venue.
Police transported the ballot boxes to the Olympic Park handball arena, where election officials began the opening and counting process [1, 2]. The first ballot box was opened at around 10 a.m., reports said [1].
By the time of the broadcast, counting had been underway for about two hours [1]. The process is being conducted under the observation of election monitors to ensure transparency following the initial transport delay [1].
Several high-profile figures were present at the scene, including former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk [1, 2]. Counting operations were in full swing as the boxes were processed, Kim Yi-young said [1].
The transport of these specific boxes had been stalled for more than 24 hours [1]. This blockage necessitated the deployment of police forces to secure the ballots and move them to the handball stadium to prevent further delays in the final tally [1, 2].
Officials said that the counting has proceeded smoothly since the boxes arrived at the site [1]. The use of police to facilitate the movement of ballot boxes highlights the tension surrounding the Jamsil-7-dong results, and the urgency felt by political leaders to finalize the count [1, 2].
“The first ballot box was opened at around 10 a.m.”
The requirement of police intervention to move ballot boxes indicates a breakdown in standard electoral logistics or an active attempt to obstruct the counting process. Such delays often fuel public distrust in election integrity, making the presence of high-ranking party leaders and official monitors critical for legitimizing the final results of the Jamsil-7-dong district.
