Special counsel launches inspection of local election ballots stored at Seoul handball arena

A special counsel team on Wednesday launched an inspection of ballot papers stored at a handball arena in Seoul as part of its probe into an unprecedented shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections. Special counsel Lee Tae-han's team entered the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul to examine 2.47 million ballots, surveillance camera footage and other material, and check for possible irregularities in connection with the elections. The gymnasium was used as a vote counting center during the elections and houses ballots cast in Seoul's southeastern Songpa Ward as protesters have blocked their removal amid calls for accountability and a rerun of the elections. The shortages, reported at multiple polling stations nationwide, sparked a major public outcry after some voters were forced to turn back without casting their ballots. Lee's team said the inspection will not serve as a recount of the votes, but it will be aimed at verifying the number of ballots at the site and determining whether there were any acts of tampering or forgery. About 500 officials from the Na