Seoul: Voting in Wednesday's local elections was temporarily suspended at some polling stations in Songpa Ward, southern Seoul, due to a shortage of ballot papers, according to election officials. The unexpected shortage began at 1 p.m. in several polling stations in Jamsil, Songpa Ward, causing significant delays for voters, many of whom waited well past the 6 p.m. official voting deadline.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the shortage led to an unprecedented halt in voting at the polling stations as of 4:30 p.m. Frustrated voters were seen leaving the stations after enduring long waits, while others expressed their dissatisfaction vocally at the scene. Reports indicated that at least five polling stations in the district faced this issue.

The National Election Commission (NEC) responded by stating that the local election office in Songpa Ward was actively working to deliver additional ballots to the affected stations. "Voters in line are able to cast their ballots even after the official closing time, so we hope there will be no misunderstanding that they cannot cast their vote because of a shortage of ballot papers," the NEC assured, emphasizing that all voters would still have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote despite the disruption.