[Part 2] Sovereignty Lost and the Jamsil Uprising: Why Have the People Returned to the Streets?

Below, a young woman wrapped in the American flag is standing alone, blocking the entrance to the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena where an illegal election was allegedly carried out.

Even though a large number of police officers were attempting to arrest her, she did not back down and continued to block the entrance for hours, preventing the National Election Commission from allegedly taking away ballot boxes unlawfully.

She is a truly brave young woman.

Her struggle brings tears to my eyes.

Following South Korea’s local elections held on June 3, Korean citizens have once again taken to the streets demanding a new election.

Nearly half of the population agrees with this demand.

The reasons for calling for a re-election are as follows.

Citizens Who Could Not Vote Because There Were No Ballots

Polling stations with ballot shortages nationwide: 91

Total number of missing ballots: 7,194

(A figure that increased by more than 1.5 times from the approximately 4,700 ballots initially announced by the National Election Commission during the early stages of the incident.)

Polling stations where voting was delayed or suspended: 26 nationwide

(Of these, voting was completely suspended for more than one hour at seven locations.)

 The Most Serious Area: Songpa District, Seoul (Jamsil Area)

Among the 91 polling stations nationwide that experienced ballot shortages, the locations where large numbers of voters were concentrated and voting was suspended for extended periods were mainly located in Jamsil, Munjeong-dong, and Garak-dong in Songpa District, Seoul.

The following are the specific details of the seven polling stations where voting was suspended for more than one hour, as revealed through the Election Commission’s official operational report.

This is the state of election administration in South Korea, a country said to have one of the most advanced IT infrastructures in the world.

Every incident occurred exclusively in areas where freedom-oriented political forces were dominant.

This was election fraud that fundamentally blocked citizens’ voting rights.

As a result, nearly 50 percent of the population agrees that a re-election should be held.

However, the current administration, which many critics describe as socialist, is allegedly using constitutional arguments to delay action and divert attention from the election fraud controversy.

The Current Government Prosecuted Ambassador Morse Tan, Former Dean and Professor of Liberty University School of Law and Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice

The reason why he has recently become deeply involved in South Korea’s election controversy is as follows.

Activities Raising Allegations of Election Fraud

Professor Morse Tan entered South Korea claiming to monitor the fairness of Korean elections and gained significant attention among conservative supporters by strongly asserting election fraud allegations through YouTube channels and conservative rallies.

Defamation Allegations Against President Lee Jae-myung and Criminal Investigation

During this process, he was reported to authorities on allegations of violating election law and defaming President Lee Jae-myung by spreading false information, placing him under police investigation.

Departure Ban and Court Rejection

When he did not comply with police summonses, investigative authorities imposed a departure ban, fearing that he would return to the United States.

Professor Tan challenged the measure in court by filing a lawsuit and requesting an injunction to cancel the departure ban.

However, the South Korean court rejected his request and allowed the investigation to proceed.

Critics argue that the current administration, which they describe as socialist, attempted to silence Ambassador Tan by entangling him in legal proceedings.

Despite this, Ambassador Tan has continued to attend rallies and demonstrations daily, advocating for a re-election.

Ambassador Morse Tan’s Official Statements

Through official statements and public speeches, Ambassador Tan has expressed deep concern about the current situation in South Korea and has presented a principled position based on the traditional alliance between South Korea and the United States.

Emphasis on Democratic Procedures and Constitutional Governance

Ambassador Tan stated that “the strongest foundation of liberal democracy is a transparent and fair election system governed by the rule of law.”

Amid controversies surrounding election administration and the political crisis, he strongly urged all state institutions in South Korea to comply with constitutional procedures.

Support for Citizens’ Right to Peaceful Assembly

Regarding the situation in which hundreds of thousands of citizens have reportedly gathered at locations such as Olympic Park in Jamsil, he stated that “the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are sacred rights of the sovereign people and must be respected under all circumstances.”

Demand for Thorough Investigation and Transparency

Concerning issues raised by voters, including ballot shortages and allegations of premature destruction of election materials, Ambassador Tan suggested that investigations should be conducted in a transparent and objective manner sufficient to satisfy international scrutiny.

Attorney Kang Yeon-jae’s Lawsuit Materials and Public Statements

Meanwhile, Attorney Kang Yeon-jae, a well-known lawyer and former member of the National Assembly within the conservative movement, has strongly advocated for election invalidation and a re-election through both legal representation and participation in the Jamsil protests following the June 3 local election controversy.

The following are the key arguments and evidence she has presented through court filings and public statements.

1. Allegations of Evidence Destruction Related to Early Shredding and Dissolution of Ballots

The most urgent issue addressed by Attorney Kang concerns allegations that election-related materials were destroyed shortly after the election.

Evidence Preservation Requests and On-Site Documentation

Attorney Kang emphasized that all election-related materials must remain preserved in their original form during the 30-day period allowed for election litigation under election law.

She promptly filed motions with the court requesting preservation of ballots and related evidence.

During this process, her monitoring team reportedly documented situations in which election officials allegedly attempted to dispose of certain documents and papers through shredding or dissolution procedures based on internal guidelines.

These materials were submitted to the court as evidence of alleged attempts to destroy evidence and commit unlawful acts.

2. Statements from Citizens Whose Voting Rights Were Allegedly Violated Due to Ballot Shortages

These are direct legal evidentiary materials concerning voters who were unable to vote because polling stations ran out of ballots.

Voter Affidavits and Video Evidence

Attorney Kang’s team collected statements from voters who had waited in line at polling stations, including those in Jamsil and other metropolitan areas, but were reportedly told there were no ballots available and had to leave without voting.

Audio recordings, dashcam footage, and mobile phone videos documenting disputes between election officials and voters regarding ballot shortages have also been collected and presented as evidence of election management failures.

3. Data Comparison Tables Showing Alleged Discrepancies Between Voter Lists and Vote Counts

These materials aim to identify contradictions between official records and actual field data.

Electoral District Data Comparison Materials

Attorney Kang stated that her team compiled cases in which the number of ballots issued, the number of actual voters, and the final number of voters recorded in the Election Commission’s system did not match.

She particularly points to what she describes as the unusual phenomenon that, despite the existence of voters who were unable to vote because ballots were unavailable, the final turnout figures and the number of ballots found in ballot boxes appeared to match perfectly.

She argues that this constitutes strong circumstantial evidence of post-election numerical adjustments, computerized manipulation, or the creation of false official documents.

4. Witness Testimonies Alleging the Omission of Manual Vote Verification Procedures

These materials consist of records from election observers who claim that legal counting procedures were ignored.

Election Observer Statements and Documentation

According to these observer testimonies, election authorities allegedly failed to conduct legally required manual verification procedures and instead relied almost entirely on machine sorting followed by minimal visual inspection.

Attorney Kang argues that when election observers raised formal objections, election officials ignored those objections and continued the counting process.

She contends that such actions constitute serious violations of election procedures and that election results produced through unlawful procedures should therefore be considered invalid.

In the face of what many citizens regard as clear election fraud, support from the American people—fellow citizens of another democratic nation—for South Korea’s call for a re-election is urgently needed.