Shortage of ballot papers sparks protests in South Korea's local elections

Voters on Wednesday cast ballots for mayors and governors in 16 major cities and provinces in a contest widely seen as a report card on President Lee Jae Myung’s administration and a test of whether conservatives could regroup after the fallout from former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed 2024 martial law bid.

Ballot papers ran out at more than a dozen polling stations amid higher-than-expected turnout, according to media reports. The shortages forced some voters to wait hours or leave without casting ballots, with voting extended at affected sites.

At a polling station in Seoul's Songpa area, crowds gathered from Wednesday evening after residents in the traditionally conservative stronghold began complaining that they had been unable to cast a vote.

On Thursday morning, protesters identifying themselves as far-right supporters attempted to stop an election official from leaving the polling station as they held banners that carried phrases such as "rigged election."