Shuka World, an economic YouTuber with 3.71 million subscribers, recently expressed support for a student declaration regarding the controversy over a "ballot shortage" during the June 3 elections.
On June 14, Shuka hosted a broadcast on his YouTube channel focusing on the topic of "suffrage."
He stated, "We must do what needs to be done," while introducing the joint declaration made by student councils from 18 universities across the country on June 10.
Shuka particularly praised the students for condemning the infringement of voting rights due to the ballot shortage and calling for follow-up actions.
In his broadcast, he highlighted the 18 universities involved in the declaration, including Konkuk University, Kyung Hee University, Korea University, Pusan National University, Sogang University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul National University, University of Seoul, Sungkyunkwan University, Sookmyung Women's University, Soongsil University, Yonsei University, Chonnam National University, Chonbuk National University, Chungbuk National University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hanyang University, and Hongik University, and shared the joint statement.
The declaration stated that while criticism of the Election Commission's mismanagement is justified, it should not be exploited for the interests of specific political factions or used to foster distrust in the democratic system.
The president of the Sogang University student council expressed concern that "specific political groups are using the issue to distort the anger of young people," adding, "We participated in the joint declaration to convey the voices of university students without distortion."
The student council of the College of Education at Seoul National University also stated, "We view this issue not through the lens of political interests but as a matter of upholding the foundations of democracy and the essence of education." The student council's meeting emphasized that "democracy is a value built on numerous sacrifices," and that the Election Commission's inadequate response is not a trivial matter.
The central operating committee of the Yonsei University student council urged that the causes and decision-making processes behind the issues arising in the electoral process, which is fundamental to exercising sovereignty, must be thoroughly investigated and transparently disclosed to the public.
As the controversy spread, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae stated he would closely examine the circumstances, and Noh Tae-ak, chairman of the Central Election Commission, issued an official apology. The Central Election Commission promised to prevent recurrence and reiterated its apology in a statement on June 11, explaining that the ballot printing ratios were determined by the decisions of local election commissions.
In response to these developments, Shuka remarked, "I respect the belief and courage of university students in democracy," adding, "You are our light."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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