South Korea's President Orders Ballot Shortage Probe

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has called for a thorough investigation into a ballot shortage that marred the country's local elections last week, saying both prosecutors and police would be involved in the probe.

Lee described the situation as "difficult to comprehend" and criticized the National Election Commission (NEC) for what he called an inadequate response. "As one citizen and as the president responsible for the government, I express deep regret", he wrote on X.

The shortage left some eligible voters unable to cast their ballots, sparked widespread criticism and led to the resignation of the NEC's president. Thousands of people subsequently gathered in front of a Seoul counting center to demand a rerun of the local elections.

Lee also asked parliament to examine the case and propose measures to prevent similar problems in the future, with reforms to the NEC's functioning to form part of the discussion.

(reuters, max)