NEC Internal Messengers Seized in Probe; Protests Show Signs of Prolonging

[Anchor]

We continue our coverage of the aftermath of the ballot paper shortage crisis. The joint prosecution and police investigation team has completed its search and seizure of the National Election Commission (NEC) servers. A full-scale investigation is expected to begin this week. Meanwhile, the protest in front of the Jamsil vote-counting station has entered its tenth day. We connect to our reporter on the scene.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri, could you first update us on the status of the investigation?

[Reporter]

The joint investigation team concluded its three-day search and seizure of the NEC servers yesterday (June 13) and has been accelerating the analysis of the seized materials today (June 14).

The seized items include internal NEC messenger logs and approval records. Investigators are focusing on the decision-making process and the subsequent response measures taken before and after the ballot paper shortage occurred.

Based on the analysis of these materials, the joint team plans to summon NEC working-level staff as witnesses starting this week.

Meanwhile, the police are considering summoning a woman this week who has been identified as having participated in the unauthorized search of the junior women's handball national team's luggage.

[Anchor]

I can hear many voices of citizens in the background. It has been ten days of protests; what is the atmosphere like on the ground today?

[Reporter]

The blockade protest at the Jamsil vote-counting station has reached its tenth day today.

With an increase in citizens in their 20s and 30s as well as families who were not as visible during weekday protests, it is estimated that tens of thousands gathered over the weekend, including an unofficial police estimate of 19,000 people as of 10:30 p.m. last night.

[Kwon Ha-rin & Kim Yi-re / Suwon, Gyeonggi Province: The process, which should have been fair, was not. As parents, this situation is very regrettable, so we came to raise our voices with our children.]

[Jo Hee-cheon, Jeon Seol-hee, Jo Eun-seo, & Jo Min-seo: The issues that have arisen this time need to be thoroughly inspected fairly and explained clearly to the public.]

Although the exact scale is difficult to determine as the police have decided not to provide information on the number of protesters starting today, real-time data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed over 24,000 people as of 5:00 p.m. However, this figure appears to include a significant number of concertgoers from a nearby K-pop venue.

Unlike last weekend, when slogans were unified under calls for a re-election, chants regarding election fraud have been heard alongside them since yesterday and again today.

Furthermore, unlike last week's situation where participants were asked to carry only the South Korean flag (Taegeukgi), it is not difficult to find participants holding both the South Korean flag and the U.S. flag today.

(Video reported by Kim Seung-tae, Video edited by Lee Sang-min)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.