▲ Officials from the special counsel team for the National Election Commission, staff, and observers prepare for the public verification of ballots from the June 3 local elections at the Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on October 28.
The special counsel team investigating the shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections has officially begun verifying whether approximately 2.47 million ballots were forged.
The special counsel team originally planned to start the verification process at around 9:00 AM today (October 28), but work was delayed until around 12:00 PM as some People Power Party lawmakers and observers protested the team's policy prohibiting filming.
Prior to launching the on-site verification at the Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, at around 9:40 AM today, Special Counsel Lee Tae-han stated, "We are well aware of the public distrust in South Korea's electoral system, which is encapsulated by the local election voting suspension incident, and we are approaching this investigation with a heavy sense of responsibility and vigilance."
He emphasized, "We sincerely hope that this verification and the ongoing investigation will serve as an opportunity to improve the shortcomings of past election management and restore public trust."
The 110 special counsel personnel and approximately 500 NEC officials deployed for this verification plan to check the quantity and condition of about 2.47 million ballots from Songpa-gu stored inside the stadium, verifying discrepancies in the number of votes and potential forgery.
The team also plans to conduct secondary precision appraisals if abnormal ballots are discovered, and examine the possibility of hacking involving equipment such as ballot sorters.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.