"Legitimate Concerns Over Voting Rights Acknowledged; Claims of Election Fraud Are Anti-Social"

[Anchor]

Amid ongoing protests regarding the shortage of ballots, President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a tour of Europe, held a video conference with his aides at the Blue House. President Lee stated that he fully acknowledges the public's legitimate concerns regarding the infringement of voting rights, while drawing a line against the spread of election fraud theories, labeling them as anti-social behavior.

Reporter Kang Cheongwan has the story.

[Reporter]

At 9:00 PM on Sunday, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and other Blue House aides gathered in the Blue House conference room for a video conference with President Lee Jae-myung, who is currently staying in Rome, Italy.

Regarding the infringement of voting rights stemming from the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections, President Lee expressed his frustration, saying, "It is truly absurd and baffling that such a situation could even happen."

[President Lee Jae-myung: I fully acknowledge and accept the legitimate concerns raised by our citizens regarding the infringement of their voting rights.]

However, President Lee drew a clear line against so-called election fraud theories, noting that there are forces exploiting this situation to incite conspiracy theories.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Spreading theories of election fraud by talking about manipulation of election results distorts the essence of this issue and is an anti-social act that insults the valuable voices of the people.]

He particularly emphasized that illegal acts, such as threats by some protesters against police officers and citizens on the scene, must be held accountable in accordance with the law and principles.

President Lee urged the National Election Commission to cooperate with the National Assembly's special investigation committee and called for the joint investigation team of prosecutors and police to identify those responsible, stressing the need to accelerate the truth-finding process.

Prior to this, President Lee began his official visit to the Vatican by attending a special mass led by Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

[President Lee Jae-myung: I hope we can create a virtuous cycle where peace on the Korean Peninsula leads to world peace, and global solidarity, in turn, strengthens peace on the Korean Peninsula.]

President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to meet with Pope Leo XIV today to discuss matters including peace on the Korean Peninsula.

(Video coverage: Jung Sang-bo, Video editing: Wi Won-yang)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.