Evidence of Vote Data Manipulation Found in Chungcheong Province... Absurd Claiming "The Final Number Is Right Anyway"

[Anchor]

Regarding the allegations of voter turnout manipulation during the recent local elections, circumstances of false data entries have been detected not only in the Gyeonggi region where it was first reported, but also at two other polling stations. Meanwhile, an election commission official reportedly made the absurd claim, "Isn't it fine as long as the final voter turnout is correct?"

Reporter Jeon Yeonnam has the details.

[Reporter]

The joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters has additionally detected circumstances where voter turnout was falsely entered at two polling stations, including one in the Gyeonggi region and another in the Chungcheong region, on the day of the June 3 local elections.

The findings were uncovered during the analysis of seized messenger records between employees, and these locations are separate from the Gyeonggi polling station linked to the previous search and seizure.

Previously, the joint investigation headquarters found that during the hourly voter turnout compilation process, a Gyeonggi polling station incorrectly entered the number of voters from hundreds to thousands. To cover this up, two officials—one from the National Election Commission and another from the Gyeonggi Election Commission—reportedly distributed figures exceeding the actual number of voters to other polling stations.

In this process, the voting status was manipulated for about four hours, and at another polling station where the voter count was inflated, figures were compiled in a manner where the number of voters increased by just one person per hour.

Having caught onto these circumstances, the joint investigation headquarters is continuing its search and seizure operations targeting the National Election Commission.

During the search and seizure process, a relevant election commission official reportedly admitted to the false entries while making the absurd claim, "Isn't it fine as long as the final voter turnout is correct?"

As the possibility is raised that manipulating voter turnout statistics may have been taken lightly and treated as a customary practice within the election commission, the likelihood of expanding the investigation to polling stations nationwide is growing.

Meanwhile, regarding the ballot paper shortage incident, the joint investigation headquarters questioned the office director of the Dongjak District Election Commission as a suspect, and summoned three National Election Commission officials as reference witnesses regarding allegations of luxury overseas business trips by former National Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak.

[Video Editing: Won Hyung-hee]
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.