South Korea election watchdog chief resigns amid ballot shortage scandal

South Korea's chief justice has accepted the resignation of the head of the country's election watchdog following an unusual shortage of ballot papers that disrupted voting in over a dozen areas of Seoul during last week's local elections, local media reported Monday.

National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman Roh Tae-ak offered to resign Friday, saying he feels "deeply responsible for the whole situation."

The resignation came after President Lee Jae Myung met Monday with the heads of the country's key state institutions and agreed to pursue reforms of the NEC, according to The Korea Times.

The South Korean leader expressed "deep regret" over what he described as an infringement on voters' rights in a social media post Sunday, saying the commission had caused significant disruptions to citizens' ability to cast their ballots. He also called on the National Assembly to investigate the incident and directed prosecutors and police to conduct a joint probe.

According to the NEC, ballot papers had to be resupplied to 67 polling stations nationwide during the elections, including 35 in Seoul.

Some voters reportedly left without casting their ballots after waiting in long lines due to the shortages.

Thousands of protesters have staged demonstrations over the incident, with some demanding a rerun of the elections.

Jang Dong-hyeok, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said the ballot shortages had seriously compromised voters' rights and argued that a rerun of the local elections was unavoidable.

Both the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition People Power Party have submitted proposals for parliamentary inquiries into the ballot shortages and the commission's handling of the vote.

The ruling Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections, building on its strong performance in the 2024 legislative elections.