[Anchor]
The special counsel investigating the National Election Commission has conducted its first-ever search on the home of former National Election Commission Chairperson Roh Tae-ak over allegations of lavish overseas business trips. Meanwhile, an NEC official who underwent questioning by the special counsel until last night, October 20, was found dead this morning. The special counsel team expressed condolences while stating that there was no coercive investigation.
Here is a report from reporter Kim Minjun.
[Reporter]
The special counsel team announced that it began searching the residence of former National Election Commission Chairperson Roh Tae-ak starting at 8:10 a.m. today.
This search of Roh's residence is the first since the launch of the joint prosecution and police investigation headquarters last July, with 12 personnel, including two dispatched prosecutors, deployed to secure Roh's mobile phone and other items.
The special counsel team also searched the National Election Commission office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, securing records related to business trips.
Roh is suspected of having his spouse accompany him on three overseas trips, including to Australia, during his tenure and covering the expenses with 160 million won from the National Election Commission budget.
The special counsel team explained that regarding the allegations surrounding Roh's overseas trips, it detected circumstances where a National Election Commission official entered false information into official documents such as the "overseas business trip result report," prompting the search on charges including occupational embezzlement and creation of false official documents.
Meanwhile, an NEC official in their 40s, identified as A, who had undergone questioning by the special counsel as a suspect on charges including breach of trust, was found dead around 7 a.m. today in a flowerbed near an apartment complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
A suicide note found at the scene reportedly contains expressions of grievance regarding the National Election Commission investigation, and police stated, "There are no signs of criminal activity such as homicide, and we have requested an autopsy for A."
The National Election Commission stated, "It is regrettable that an official undergoing late-night questioning suffered extreme psychological pressure from sustained investigation and lost a precious life."
In response, the special counsel team expressed condolences to the deceased, stating, "While we express our condolences, the individual was questioned only once yesterday, there was no late-night questioning, and the atmosphere was not coercive."
(Video by Lee Chan-soo, Yang Hyun-chul | Video Editing by Choi Jin-hwa | Graphics by Choi Jae-young | VJ by Kim Hyung-jin)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.