A civic group has filed a complaint against the head of the National Election Commission(NEC) and other officials amid controversy over mismanagement on the first day of early voting at a polling station in Seoul’s Seodaemun District.

The People’s Welfare Countermeasure Committee filed the complaint with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, accusing NEC Chairman Rho Tae-ak, NEC Secretary General Kim Yong-bin and NEC Deputy Secretary General Heo Chul-hoon of dereliction of duty.
 
The group criticized the NEC officials, saying their actions were unethical, disregarded voters’ rights and added to public distrust in the election watchdog.

On the first of a two-day early voting period that kicked off at over three-thousand-500 polling stations nationwide on Thursday, the NEC received reports that some voters waiting in long lines outside a Sinchon polling station were given ballots before entering the building, igniting controversy.

The NEC issued a public apology the same day, saying it takes responsibility for the incident and mistakes made by on-site poll workers.