“Oh se-hoon’s win is invalid.”: I PPP leadership initiates legal process to invalidate PPP win on Seoul mayoral election

1. Translation

Lee Ho-seon, chair of the People Power Party’s Internal Audit Committee who was appointed under the leadership of party chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, announced on June 8 that he would file an election petition challenging the Seoul mayoral election in connection with the ballot shortage incidents that occurred during the June 3 local elections. An election petition is the procedural step that precedes a formal lawsuit seeking to invalidate an election.

In a post on his personal blog, Lee stated:

“The Seoul Metropolitan Mayor election held on June 3, 2026, should be declared invalid.”

Election petitions must be filed within two weeks of election day. Lee plans to recruit Seoul residents as joint petitioners through June 10 and submit the petition on June 11.

Earlier, the National Election Commission announced that ballot shortages occurred at 50 polling stations nationwide out of a total of 14,288 polling stations during the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections. Of those 50 polling stations, 33 were located in Seoul, with Songpa District alone accounting for 14 affected polling stations.

Lee argued that:

“The Seoul mayoral election involved a serious administrative defect arising from the respondent’s failure to fulfill its duty to supply an adequate number of ballots for foreseeable voter demand. As a result, the voting rights of many citizens were infringed.”

He further claimed that:

“Not only is there a reasonable possibility that this infringement affected the election result, but regardless of whether the exact vote differential can be calculated, it independently constitutes grounds for invalidating the election because it fundamentally undermined public trust in the freedom and fairness of the electoral process.”

Lee also stated that the Seoul Election Commission should not dismiss the matter simply because it is difficult to prove a direct impact on the outcome:

“The respondent (the Chair of the Seoul Election Commission) should not turn away from this case—which was caused by its own errors—on the grounds that an impact on the result cannot be proven. In light of the freedom and fairness of elections and the spirit of the Constitution, it should actively interpret the law and declare the election invalid as requested in this petition.”

Lee additionally rejected arguments that the election could not be invalidated under Article 224 of the Public Official Election Act.

He argued:

“In cases such as this, where the fundamental principles of electoral freedom and fairness have been damaged at their core, the nature of the defect itself negates the legitimacy of the election. Therefore, it is unnecessary to separately prove a precise increase or decrease in vote totals; the defect itself is sufficient grounds for invalidation.”

Article 224 of the Public Official Election Act states that:

“Even where violations of election-related regulations have occurred, an election or a candidate’s victory may be declared wholly or partially invalid only when the violation is recognized as having affected the election result.”

Lee contended that:

“If Article 224 is interpreted as making ‘effect on the result’ the sole requirement for invalidation, it would infringe upon the essential content of the right to vote and nullify the constitutional value of electoral fairness, raising constitutional concerns.”

He also indicated that if the petition is dismissed or rejected, he intends to request a constitutional review of the relevant legal provisions.

2. How is this related to the sub

(1) Election denial: Vote delay caused by ballot shortage greatly emboldened by MAGA cargo cultists. They are trying to invalidate local elections which moderate PPP won.

3. My opinion

For Jang Dong-hyuk and his gang of MAGA cargo cultists, this is an election that must be cancelled as this election showed that Korean electorate overall rejected MAGA as an ideology. Despite all the riots and violence they caused silent majority rejected them, giving victory to DPK nationwide and PPP candidates who won mostly hail from moderate conservative wings like Oh se-hoon and Han Dong-hun who rejected Yoon’s insurrectionist agenda. Many pundits consider the election result as a death sentence to far-right and first step to return to the normalcy of 1987 system.

So, MAGA-wing cannot accept this result. They cannot accept that the age of insanity is coming to an end. So, Jang Dong-hyuk is urging the defeated DPK candidate join in his call for revotes and election denial, so he can have a second chance