Seoul:A special counsel team has requested the National Election Commission (NEC) to maintain the integrity of 420 ballot boxes that were not contested during a recent inspection at a Seoul handball arena. The team indicated a potential need for further examination of these boxes.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the ballot boxes have been stored at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul since the June 3 local elections. On Thursday, special counsel Lee Tae-han's team transferred them after reviewing all 2.47 million ballots cast in the southeastern Songpa Ward.

The investigation by the special counsel team focuses on unprecedented ballot shortages experienced on Election Day, which led to some voters being unable to cast their votes. Of the 433 ballot boxes used, 420 were moved to an NEC storage facility in the capital area, where they will remain for the duration of the elected officials' terms.

The special counsel team has taken 13 boxes for further inspection due to objections raised by on-site observers. These boxes may undergo additional scrutiny by the National Forensic Service. The gymnasium, initially a vote counting center, has been the focus of protests since June, with demonstrators demanding accountability for the ballot shortages and a rerun of the elections.