Ballot Box Recovered Amidst Election Controversy
A ballot box, reportedly missing from a polling station during a period of ballot shortages, has been recovered, according to YouTuber Jeon Han-gil. Jeon held a press conference on the afternoon of the 12th, stating he had obtained a ballot box that election officials had claimed was destroyed. He presented the recovered box, asserting it was present at the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong during the alleged ballot shortage incident.
Earlier, on the 10th, the Seoul Eastern District Court had visited the site following a request for preservation of evidence from Kim Jeong-cheol, a supreme committee member of the Saenuri Party. However, the ballot box was no longer present at that time.
Jeon indicated his intention to discuss the handover of the ballot box with the Seoul Eastern District Court. He further stated that if the court does not acknowledge the original document or shows a passive stance regarding its transfer, the matter will be escalated to investigative bodies, including a joint investigation unit.
The method by which Jeon obtained the ballot box remains undisclosed, with the explanation being a need to protect the whistleblower’s identity. His next steps will depend on the election committee’s response.
However, sources from the Seoul City Election Commission have stated that the ballot box in question was already disposed of, differing from the one Jeon claims to have recovered. They maintain that any ballot box subject to a preservation order has been destroyed.
In a related development, the Seoul Eastern District Court has made a partial decision regarding additional evidence preservation requests submitted by Kim, a supreme committee member of the Saenuri Party, in connection with the ballot shortage incident. Consequently, the court has requested the Songpa District Election Committee to investigate details concerning the disposal of election materials, including the company that handled the ballot box transfer, the timing of the transfer, the date of disposal, and the current location of any un-disposed items.
