During an emergency press conference at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Jang stated, "Is it acceptable for the president to come out of the voting booth and openly shake a marked ballot in front of the cameras, saying, 'I voted for this party's candidate, so I hope you will join me'?"
He accused President Yoon of using the excuse that his ballot was not properly marked to bring it outside the voting booth. Jang pointed out that election commission staff attempted to stop him from showing the ballot, yet Yoon continued to display it toward the cameras while questioning the staff.
Jang argued, "By holding up a marked ballot in front of numerous cameras and questioning whether it is valid or invalid, he is signaling that he supports this candidate and party, hoping the public will do the same. Especially those who support him will likely act in unison."
He further claimed, "The president has openly violated his duty of political neutrality and election impartiality by appealing for support for a specific candidate," adding, "I suspect there was intent behind the act of coming out with a partially marked ballot."
Jang emphasized, "This is not a trivial matter. If I had done the same by showing a ballot marked for a specific People Power Party candidate in front of the cameras, Lee Jae-myung would have immediately posted about it on social media, calling for my arrest and detention."
He also suggested that Yoon might view the publicity as beneficial, stating, "Both the illegal campaigning and the directive for media control are clear grounds for impeachment."
Earlier that day, President Yoon, while voting at the Samcheong-dong Community Center in Jongno, asked officials, "Is it okay if it’s only partially marked? Will it be considered invalid?" After receiving clarification that it would not be an invalid vote, he returned to the booth to complete his voting.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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