Thousands of protesters surrounded a vote counting facility in eastern Seoul on Friday over ballot shortages that disrupted Wednesday's local elections, prompting police to disperse the crowd and secure ballot boxes.
Police confirmed around 2,000 demonstrators had encircled the handball stadium at Olympic Park by 5:40 p.m., blocking entrances and preventing officials from leaving. The crowd chanted
Initial reactions on X include factual reports of police clearing protesters from a Seoul vote-counting site due to ballot shortages, alongside skeptical posts accusing authorities of suppressing votes in opposition areas and calls for re-elections with claims of police violence.
During the last hour, Seoul police have forcibly removed peaceful protesters who have blocked a voting station in Jamsil. Poll workers walked out with the ballot boxes. The protest started because the station had ballot shortages. They want the counting to stop.
— Southern_Ryan (@Southern_Ryan5K) Hunyo 5, 2026
South Korean riot police cleared protesters Friday from a Seoul polling station after a 35-hour blockade sparked by a shortage of ballot papers during local elections earlier this week. https://t.co/U27v9G35mj
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) Hunyo 5, 2026
WE ARE CHANTING FOR RE ELECTION
— 청소부/CLEANER (@KORROOFTOPARODY) Hunyo 5, 2026
STOP THE STEAL!!!
IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED
TO FIGHT BACK
BUT THE POLICE IS ONLY PROTECTING AND HURTING THE CITIZENS AND THREATENING
HELP@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/uIDwpxAAcZ
This is the current scene of protesters gathered at Seoul’s Olympic Park Handball Stadium (the official vote-counting center for the polling stations that had ballot shortages in the 6/3 Korean elections)
— Kangmin Lee | 이강민 (@kangminlee) Hunyo 5, 2026
Most of them are in their 20-30s https://t.co/J14XJHsuJi pic.twitter.com/VTxpbzo5O2
2026-6-5, Olympic Park, Seoul, Korea. Stop making excuses, NEC (National Election Commission). People demand fair & transparent elections that reflect their will. Ballot shortages are not acceptable. Counting stacks of unfolded pristine ballots are not acceptable. More ballots… https://t.co/kl653RyRoB
— Tara O (@DrTaraO) Hunyo 5, 2026
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South Koreans head to polling stations Wednesday to elect local government leaders and council members in the ninth nationwide local elections.
Protests over ballot shortages during local elections entered their second day in Seoul on Saturday, with thousands surrounding a vote-counting facility and demanding a new election.
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The head of South Korea's election watchdog offered to resign on June 5 after ballot shortages disrupted voting in parts of Seoul during this week's local elections.
South Korea's National Election Commission said Saturday that 513 candidates were elected without a vote ahead of the June 3 local elections.
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Official campaigning for South Korea's June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections started on Thursday, May 21, with nearly 7,830 candidates competing nationwide. The two-week period runs until June 2 and is seen as an early test for the Lee Jae Myung administration.
Candidate registration opened Thursday for South Korea's June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections, seen as a key test of public sentiment toward President Lee Jae Myung's first year in office.
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Hong Kong police stopped and searched five men and two women in Causeway Bay for allegedly disrupting order on Thursday evening.