A senior official at the National Election Commission(NEC) has offered to resign to take responsibility for the poor handling of ballots submitted by COVID-19 patients during the 20th presidential election.

In an email sent to NEC employees cited by Yonhap News on Wednesday, Secretary-General Kim Se-hwan extended his resignation, apologizing for the early voting blunder.

He reportedly expressed his hopes the commission will be able to overcome current challenges by successfully managing the upcoming local elections to restore the people's trust in the institution.

The agency had come under fire as votes by COVID-19 patients and those in self-quarantine were collected in plastic bags and other unofficial containers during an early voting period on March 5.

This had sparked criticisms of election rigging, allegations the NEC has flatly rejected.