Yoon Sang-hyun Proposes Public Recount of 2.47 Million Ballots at Olympic Park

Yoon Sang-hyun, a lawmaker from the People Power Party and chairman of the National Assembly's special committee investigating the ballot shortage during the 6.3 local elections, proposed on July 5 a public recount of the 2.47 million ballots remaining at the handball stadium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, Yoon stated, "As various erroneous suspicions regarding the ballots continue to escalate, I suggested that we conduct a public verification."

He added, "The cost of renting the venue is expected to be about 200 million won until July 10. Therefore, I am asking the Central Election Commission to publicly verify the 2.47 million ballots to demonstrate that there were no errors in the vote counting process."

Yoon estimated that mobilizing people for the recount would cost around 50 million won, explaining, "It would be more efficient to conduct an accurate recount at once rather than incurring ongoing rental costs, which would also provide justification for moving the sealed ballot boxes."

He also mentioned, "I have requested that the negotiators from both parties discuss this, and I expect a conclusion soon. Last week, during a report from the Central Election Commission, Acting Secretary-General Kang Dong-wan also expressed a positive stance on the recount, saying 'That's good' and 'We will do it.'"

The Central Election Commission and the Seoul Election Commission are scheduled to conduct an on-site investigation on July 7, focusing on the decision-making process regarding the reduction of ballot printing ratios and the command and reporting system on the day of the main voting.

Yoon recalled a meeting of the Election Commission held last November, led by then-Chairman Noh Tae-ak, where only two people remembered the contents of a 40-page report. He emphasized the need to examine issues such as the failure to establish rules regarding ballots in the Election Commission's regulations and the delegation of authority.

Additionally, he pointed out that the proposal by Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, for a special prosecutor to recommend a third party would be more beneficial in uncovering the substantive truth behind the ballot shortage incident.

He stressed, "A special prosecutor is necessary not only to address the ballot shortage issue but also to scrutinize the entire Election Commission regarding budget waste, sole-source contracts, personnel administration, and hiring irregularities."