South Korean police removed ballot boxes from the Jamsil polling station in Seoul on Friday after demonstrators protested a ballot-paper shortage [1].
The operation highlights growing tensions over election integrity in the Songpa-gu district, where protesters allege that irregularities and shortages occurred during the voting process [2].
Police entered the protest site around 8 a.m. [1]. The deployment included 18 mobile units and approximately 1,000 officers [1], [2]. After ordering demonstrators to move, authorities removed the ballot boxes from the polling station and transferred them to the Songpa counting center [1].
This removal process was completed in less than one hour [2]. While police secured the boxes, some protesters entered the polling station to search for documents and evidence they said could prove election fraud [2].
The protest had been ongoing for three days prior to the police intervention [2]. Following the transfer of the ballot boxes, the situation at the site quieted, and police withdrew from the area around 9 a.m. [2].
Authorities moved the boxes immediately after removal to ensure they reached the counting center without further interference from the crowd [1].
“Police entered the protest site around 8 a.m.”
The deployment of a significant police force to secure ballot boxes suggests a high level of concern regarding potential civil unrest or the physical compromise of election materials. The fact that protesters attempted to enter the station to find evidence of fraud indicates a deep lack of trust in the official ballot-handling process within this specific district.
