Out-of-District Early Voting Ballots to Be Transported Under Police Supervision

Minister of the Interior and Safety Sang-min Lee Inspects Transfer Site

As the first day of early voting for the 22nd general election came to a close, the police will accompany the postal transfer of early voting ballots at all stages to strengthen management.

On the 5th, Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visited the Seoul Central Post Office, where early voting ballots from outside the jurisdiction are transferred by mail after early voting ended, to inspect the transfer site.

Early voting for the 22nd National Assembly election began on the 5th, and voters are casting their ballots at the Naegok-dong Early Voting Station set up at the Naegok-dong Open Culture Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

In this election, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in cooperation with the National Police Agency and the Korea Post, has strengthened management procedures by having police officers accompany postal transport vehicles at all stages of the mail transfer of early voting ballots from outside the jurisdiction.

This measure was taken considering that, until now, the mail delivery of early voting ballots from outside the jurisdiction was carried out solely by the Korea Post, raising concerns about possible accidents and risks during the delivery process.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that by supplementing the lack of police deployment in the section from when the post office receives the early voting ballots from outside the jurisdiction to when they are transferred to the relevant election commission, public trust in early voting can be enhanced.

On the day, Minister Lee inspected the police security situation around the post office facilities and personally confirmed the police accompanying the postal transport vehicles to safely transfer the early voting ballots from outside the jurisdiction.

After inspecting the transfer site, Minister Lee encouraged officials from the National Police Agency and Korea Post, urging them to "thoroughly manage the safe transfer of early voting ballots to the relevant election commission until the end of the early voting schedule."