Nat'l Assembly begins procedure for potential probe on election ballot shortage

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Thursday launched formal procedures for a potential parliamentary investigation into ballot shortages reported during last week's local elections, with requests for the probe submitted by both the ruling and opposition parties being reported to a plenary session.

The head of the Proceedings Division of the National Assembly Secretariat said that the requests for a parliamentary probe were submitted separately by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), with all lawmakers from each party sponsoring their respective requests.

The move marks the step toward establishing a special parliamentary committee to examine allegations of mismanagement by the National Election Commission during the voting process.

The establishment of the committee is expected to undergo negotiations, as proposals from the DP and the PPP differed over the scope of the probe and the number of seats to be allotted to each party on the committee.

The PPP has also argued that a separate special counsel probe should be launched alongside the parliamentary investigation, while the DP has maintained that such a move should be considered after the parliamentary probe.

A plenary session of the National Assembly is held in Seoul on June 5, 2026, in this file photo. (Yonhap)