Special Counsel Raids Former Election Commission Chief's Home for First Time; NEC Official Found Dead

[Anchor]

The special counsel team investigating various irregularities within the National Election Commission (NEC) has conducted its first search and seizure on the home of former NEC Chairperson Roh Tae-ak, who faces suspicions regarding overseas business trips for leisure. Meanwhile, an NEC official who had undergone questioning by the special counsel was found dead yesterday (October 21). The special counsel team expressed condolences while stating that there was no coercive interrogation.

Reporter Kim Minjun has the details.

[Reporter]

The special counsel team announced that it executed a search and seizure at the residence of former National Election Commission Chairperson Roh Tae-ak starting at 8:10 AM yesterday.

This is the first search and seizure conducted on Roh's residence since the launch of the joint prosecution and police investigation headquarters in July. A 12-member team, including two dispatched prosecutors, was deployed to secure Roh's mobile phone and other items.

The special counsel team also searched the central NEC office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, securing business trip records and other materials.

Roh is suspected of bringing his spouse along on three overseas trips, including to Australia, during his tenure and covering the expenses using 160 million won from the NEC budget.

Regarding the suspicions surrounding Roh's overseas trips, the special counsel team explained that it detected circumstances where a central NEC official allegedly entered false information into official documents, such as the "overseas trip result report," prompting the search and seizure on charges of occupational embezzlement and the creation of false official documents.

Meanwhile, an NEC official in their 40s, identified as A, who had undergone special counsel questioning as a suspect on charges including breach of trust, was found dead at around 7:00 AM yesterday in a flowerbed near an apartment complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

A suicide note found at the scene reportedly contained expressions of unfairness regarding the NEC investigation. Police stated, "There are no signs of criminal activity such as homicide, and we have requested an autopsy for A."

The NEC released a statement saying, "It is regrettable that an official undergoing late-night questioning suffered extreme psychological pressure from the ongoing investigation and lost a precious life."

In response, the special counsel team expressed condolences to the deceased, stating, "While we mourn the deceased, the individual was questioned only once, there was no late-night questioning, and the atmosphere was not coercive."

(Camera: Lee Chan-su | Video Editing: Choi Jin-hwa | VJ: Kim Hyung-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.