Special counsel asks election watchdog to keep ballot boxes intact for possible review

Special counsel Lee Tae-han’s team asked the National Election Commission on Friday to preserve 420 ballot boxes after inspecting ballots from Seoul’s Songpa Ward, saying it may need to examine them again. The boxes had been stored at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium since the June 3 local elections. The team retained 13 other boxes for further inspection, including possible examination by the National Forensic Service, as it investigates ballot shortages that turned some voters away.

The team reviewed all 2.47 million ballots cast in Songpa Ward before moving the boxes from the gymnasium on Thursday.

The National Election Commission said the 420 boxes were taken to a storage facility in the capital area.

Under election law, the boxes will be stored for the duration of the elected officials’ terms.

The remaining 13 boxes are to be examined further based on objections raised by on-site observers, and some may be sent to the National Forensic Service.

Protesters had blocked the ballots’ removal from the gymnasium since June, calling for accountability over the shortage and a rerun of the elections.

Published Oct 30, 2026 9:40 pm KST

Some protesters gather outside a police cordon in front of the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District, Seoul, Thursday, after a special counsel team investigating ballot shortages in the June 3 local elections completed a public inspection of ballots and removed ballot boxes from the venue. Yonhap

A special counsel team on Friday asked the National Election Commission (NEC) to keep intact the 420 ballot boxes that drew no objections during its inspection at a Seoul handball arena, saying it may need to examine them again.

The boxes had sat in the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul since the June 3 local elections. Special counsel Lee Tae-han's team carried them out Thursday after reviewing all 2.47 million ballots cast in the southeastern Songpa Ward.

The team has been investigating unprecedented ballot shortages on Election Day that turned some voters away before they could cast their votes.

The ballots were placed in 433 boxes, 420 of which were taken to an NEC storage facility in the capital area, according to the commission. Under the election law, they will be stored for the duration of the elected officials' terms.

The team took the remaining 13 boxes and will inspect their content further based on objections raised by on-site observers. Some of them will be sent to the National Forensic Service for closer examination.

The gymnasium served as a vote counting center during the elections, but protesters had blocked the ballots' removal since June amid calls for accountability for the shortage and a rerun of the elections.

特别检察官李泰汉的团队周五向国家选举委员会提出申请，要求保存首尔松坡区420个投票箱，称可能需要再次检查这些投票箱。这些投票箱自6月3日地方选举以来一直存放在奥林匹克公园手球馆。该团队还保留了另外13个投票箱以作进一步检查，包括可能由国家法证院进行检查，因为该机构正在调查选票短缺导致部分选民放弃投票的情况。

周四，在将投票箱从体育馆移走之前，该团队审查了松坡区投出的全部 247 万张选票。

国家选举委员会表示，这420个箱子已被运往首都地区的一个仓库。

根据选举法，这些箱子将在当选官员的任期内保存。

剩余的 13 个箱子将根据现场观察员提出的异议进行进一步检查，其中一些可能会被送往国家法医服务机构。

自六月以来，抗议者一直阻止将选票从体育馆移走，他们要求对选票短缺问题追究责任，并要求重新举行选举。

发布于2026年10月30日晚上9:40（韩国标准时间）

周四，在首尔松坡区奥林匹克公园手球馆前，一些抗议者聚集在警方警戒线外。此前，负责调查6月3日地方选举选票短缺问题的特别检察官小组完成了对选票的公开检查，​​并将投票箱从场馆内移走。（韩联社）

周五，一个特别检察官小组要求国家选举委员会（NEC）保留在首尔手球馆检查时未引起任何异议的 420 个投票箱，称可能需要再次检查这些投票箱。

这些箱子自6月3日地方选举以来一直存放在首尔东南部的奥林匹克公园手球馆内。特别检察官李泰汉的团队在周四审查了松坡区全部247万张选票后，将这些箱子搬了出来。

该团队一直在调查选举日当天前所未有的选票短缺问题，这个问题导致一些选民在投票前就被拒之门外。

据选举委员会称，选票被装入433个箱子，其中420个被运往首都地区的国家选举委员会（NEC）仓库。根据选举法，这些选票将被保存至当选官员任期结束。

调查小组取走了剩余的13个箱子，并将根据现场观察员提出的异议，进一步检查箱内物品。其中一些箱子将被送往国家法医服务中心进行更详细的检验。

体育馆在选举期间被用作计票中心，但自 6 月以来，抗议者一直阻止选票被移走，他们呼吁对选票短缺问题追究责任并重新举行选举。