South Koreans continued Thursday to protest over polling stations this past weekend running out of ballots in regional elections nationwide – alleging election fraud and demanding a "rerun."

More than 90 polling stations ran short of ballots, particularly in conservative-leaning areas, in the June 3 regional elections, which led to protesters taking to the streets in Seoul and elsewhere nationwide. 

The protesters, mostly young people in their 20s and 30s, could be seen making signs with volunteers handing out water bottles, waving South Korean and U.S. flags and chanting slogans such as “Election fraud, hold a new election.” 

President Lee Jae-myung on Sunday posted on X that he has “deep regret” over the ballot shortage and called the country's National Election Commission's explanations “insufficient,” Lee also directed a joint prosecutor-police task force to investigate the incident.

However, as of Thursday, there was no indication that the results of the elections would be nullified and that "rerun" elections, as the protesters are calling them, would be held. 

Som-yeong Kim, 25, a graduate student at Kyung Hee University, said about the early protests that she went to Olympic Park where ballot boxes were transported for counting because she could “no longer remain a passive observer of the concerns surrounding elections and democracy in South Korea.” 

“I saw more participants in their twenties and thirties than I had expected," she said. "They waved the Taegeukgi, the national flag of South Korea, and called for electoral fairness and a full investigation into the allegations,” she said. Meanwhile, she said that a smaller group of participants had gathered in another part of the site to hold a Christian worship service. 

Jang Dong-hyuk, the opposition leader of the People Power Party, said in an exclusive statement to Just the News: “This is not a fleeting protest. It is a spontaneous, grassroots awakening that began on June 4 and refuses to yield.” Jang is among those demanding a re-vote as well as a congressional probe and a special counsel, independent of the ruling party.

At least seven people had minor injuries in connection with the weekend protests. 

The ballot shortage, initially reported to have occurred at 50 polling stations as of Saturday, was confirmed by the National Election Commission to have been at least 91 stations. The number of polling stations which temporarily suspended voting also went up from 22 to 26. The NEC has not responded to a request for comment. 

The Democratic Party of Korea has secured a victory in 12 out of 16 mayoral and gubernatorial districts, while the opposition People Power Party retained mayorship in Seoul. 

On Thursday, protesters were reportedly halting activities for Seoul Olympic-based sports organizations.