Paper Industry's Big Two Compete for Ballot Supply, Moorim Wins This Year's Local Elections

Moorim Paper to Supply Advance Ballot Papers This Year
Full Delivery to Polling Stations Nationwide
Small Market Size but High Symbolic Value for Ballot Paper Supply

For the upcoming 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June, Moorim Paper has been selected as the supplier of ballot papers for all advance polling stations across the country. Although the share of ballot papers in the company's overall paper business sales is minimal, it is considered to carry significant symbolic value as it serves as an opportunity to have their technological capabilities officially recognized through a national event.

Officials from the Gwangju Election Commission are conducting a mock ballot counting on the 25th at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju, ahead of the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to industry sources on March 20, Moorim Paper is set to supply the entire volume of base paper required for advance polling stations nationwide this year. The process for advance ballot papers entails the National Election Commission selecting a roll paper (the round-shaped paper used in ballot paper issuing machines) manufacturer through a public tender, after which the selected manufacturer chooses a single supplier of base paper (paper in its unprocessed form) and signs a one-year contract with them.

The domestic ballot paper market is divided between Hansol Paper and Moorim Paper. In last year's presidential election held in June, Hansol Paper was selected as the contractor and supplied the advance ballot papers nationwide.

For main election day ballot papers, each local election commission at the district, city, or county level signs contracts with local printing companies, which then choose either Hansol Paper or Moorim Paper as their supplier. While it is difficult to estimate the exact supply volume of main election ballot papers for each company, it is known that the market share is roughly similar given their technological capabilities. As a result, securing the contract to supply advance ballot papers—responsible for ballot paper stock across all polling stations nationwide—is regarded as the deciding factor in that year’s competition for supply.

In local elections, each voter receives as many as 7 to 8 ballot papers, including those for superintendent of education, metropolitan mayor or provincial governor, and district mayor or county head. This means that advance ballot papers are used in greater quantities compared to other elections. According to the National Election Commission, during the 2022 local elections, approximately 300 million ballot papers were used. Moorim Paper estimates that around 280 tons of advance ballot papers will be supplied for this year’s local elections.

Despite the fact that the market size is not large, both companies continue to compete because supplying ballot papers during election season is the best opportunity to demonstrate their technological prowess as leading domestic paper manufacturers. Ballot papers must meet stringent material properties and printing requirements specified by the election commission. The paper must remain strong so it does not tear or crumple during the vote count, maintain uniform weight and thickness, and incorporate technology to minimize ink smudging. In Korea, only Hansol Paper and Moorim Paper are capable of producing such specialized paper.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.