S. Korea election chief ousted after Seoul ballot shortage

South Korea's Supreme Court chief justice accepted the resignation of National Election Commission Chairperson Roh Tae-ak after ballot shortages disrupted voting at more than a dozen Seoul polling stations during the June 3 local elections.

The ouster highlights serious questions about South Korea's election administration after the shortages prompted temporary voting suspensions and caused some voters in Seoul's Songpa and Gangnam districts to leave polling stations without casting ballots.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae accepted Roh's resignation and formally dismissed him from the position, The Korea Times reported.

Ballot shortages struck more than a dozen polling stations across Seoul during the June 3 local elections. The southeastern districts of Songpa and Gangnam were among the hardest-hit areas, where temporary suspensions of voting were ordered at some locations and a number of voters left lines without casting their ballots.

Roh offered to step down Friday, saying he was "deeply responsible for the whole situation," according to The Korea Times.

The National Election Commission's handling of ballot distribution drew widespread public backlash, intensifying pressure on its leadership to be held accountable for what critics called a preventable breakdown in voting procedures.

Roh's dismissal came days after the June 3 elections as public pressure mounted over the National Election Commission's handling of ballot distribution, The Korea Times reported.