Joint Investigation Team Secures NEC Servers, Plans Witness Summons Next Week

The joint police-prosecution investigation team, tasked with uncovering the truth behind the "ballot paper shortage" during the June 3 local elections, has completed its search and seizure of the National Election Commission (NEC) servers and is set to begin full-scale summons for questioning starting next week.
According to legal sources on June 14, the joint team concluded its search of the NEC servers yesterday.
The items seized include internal NEC messenger logs and records of administrative approvals.
Based on these materials, the joint team plans to examine the entire decision-making process and subsequent response measures that led to the NEC reducing the number of printed ballots to 50% of the number of eligible voters, as well as the eventual shortage.
In particular, the investigation is expected to focus on whether there were internal objections or concerns within the NEC during the decision-making process, and whether influence was exerted by higher-ups, including former NEC Chairperson Noh Tae-ak.
The joint team is accelerating the setup of its office and the analysis of the seized materials over the weekend.
The police team dispatched to the joint investigation has also completed its formation and is currently classifying and handing over the seized materials at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division.
The joint team plans to finalize the setup of its office within the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office early next week, bringing together investigative personnel from both the prosecution and the police.
Once the transfer of investigative data is complete, the team will begin questioning working-level NEC staff as witnesses.
The joint team is expected to first summon staff from the election commissions of Songpa, Seocho, Gangnam, Gwangjin, and Dongjak districts—where the ballot shortages occurred—to reconstruct the situation on the ground. Following this, they are expected to proceed with summoning higher-level officials, including former Chairperson Noh Tae-ak.
The key issue in this investigation is whether NEC officials used illicit methods or exerted undue influence in the process of deciding the number of ballots to print and responding to the shortage.
When the joint team conducted searches and seizures at seven locations, including the NEC headquarters and the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission, on June 11, the warrants specified charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, dereliction of duty, and professional embezzlement and breach of trust.
Article 85 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that public officials must not exert undue influence on elections in connection with their duties or by using their status.
Article 237 of the same act provides for the punishment of "anyone who interferes with the freedom of an election by illicit methods."
The charge of dereliction of duty is also difficult to apply for simple negligence; it can be applied if an individual was aware of their duties but intentionally failed to perform them.
Therefore, even if it is acknowledged that the NEC's ballot shortage caused disruptions to the election, it is crucial to determine whether NEC officials were aware of these problems and subsequently used their positions to exert undue influence or employed illicit methods.
The joint team intends to concentrate its investigative efforts on reconstructing the NEC's decision-making process and identifying the root causes of the ballot shortage through the analysis of seized materials and the questioning of relevant individuals.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.