▲ Officials, including Professor Lee Sang-jin (first from left) of Korea University's Graduate School of Information Security, who serves as a forensic expert advisory member for the independent counsel team led by Special Counsel Lee Tae-han investigating various suspicions surrounding the National Election Commission, enter the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on October 13.
The special counsel team investigating allegations surrounding the June 3 local elections, including the shortage of ballot papers, has launched compulsory investigations into seven locations, including the National Election Commission (NEC), after confirming that the number of hourly voters during the local elections was falsely entered.
The special counsel team announced that it has been conducting searches and seizures since around 9:10 a.m. today (October 15) at a total of seven locations: the National Election Commission, four provincial and municipal election commissions (South Chungcheong, South Jeolla, Gwangju, South Gyeongnam, and Gangwon), and two district, city, and county election commissions (Nam-gu in Busan and Seogwipo in Jeju).
A total of 31 personnel were deployed for the execution of the search and seizure warrants, including 3 prosecutors, 20 investigators, and 8 digital forensic investigators.
Having stationed forensic investigators at the National Election Commission, the special counsel team explained that through the analysis of log data on hourly voter counts by polling station within the election management system and the investigation of some 70 public officials from township, district, city, and county election commissions, it confirmed that voter counts were falsely entered at 30 local election commissions nationwide.
Previously, the joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters had confirmed that false voter entries took place at five local election commissions (Seocho-gu and Gangnam-gu in Seoul, Gimpo and Uiwang in Gyeonggi Province, and Jincheon County in North Chungcheong Province).
The special counsel team has also identified issues at an additional 25 local election commissions (Guro-gu, Mapo-gu, and Seongbuk-gu in Seoul; Guri, Pyeongtaek, Suwon, Yongin, Seongnam, Namyangju, Yeoju, and Dongducheon in Gyeonggi Province; Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province; Seobuk-gu, Dongnam-gu, and Geumsan County in South Chungcheong Province; Nam-gu in Busan; Changwon in South Gyeongnam Province; Buk-gu in Gwangju; Mokpo, Gwangyang, and Hwasun County in South Jeolla Province; Chuncheon, Jeongseon County, and Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province; and Seogwipo in Jeju).
Investigations showed that the relevant local election commissions used methods such as falsely modifying voter counts or entering values with a fixed rate of increase.
The special counsel team is expected to begin full-scale investigations, including summoning relevant individuals, after analyzing the seized materials.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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