On February 2, one day before the 21st presidential election, officials from the Yuseong-gu Election Commission are checking the ballot counting preparation situation at the counting center set up in the Daejeon Convention Center in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. /Courtesy of News1

Regarding the pre-stamping of the voting officer's seal on the ballot and pre-detaching part of the serial number slip, the National Election Commission (NEC) clarified on the 3rd that this is 'a normal voting management procedure' after a 112 report was filed.

The NEC announced in a notice that afternoon, saying, 'According to Article 157, Paragraph 2 of the Public Official Election Act, the voting officer may stamp the seal in advance on up to 100 ballots before handing them over.'

Regarding the detachment of the serial number slip, it stated, 'According to Article 157, Paragraph 2 of the Public Official Election Act and the voting management manual, the voting officer may pre-cut about two-thirds of the serial number slip with scissors before handing the ballot in front of the voter and then remove the slip to hand over the ballot.'

Multiple reports related to voting were filed via 112 from various polling stations nationwide. Among them, at a polling station in Seocho District, Seoul, a woman in her 50s reported at around 9:22 a.m. that 'the election officials had pre-detached the serial number at the bottom of the ballot and had also pre-stamped the seal.'