Joint Investigation Task Force Raids Central Election Commission... Launches Probe into 'Ballot Statistics Manipulation'

Joint Task Force Detects Evidence of Statistical Manipulation

Yonhap News Agency

The joint investigation task force of the police and prosecution, formed to uncover the truth behind the shortage of ballot papers, has detected indications that National Election Commission staff manipulated statistics and has launched a compulsory investigation.

The Joint Investigation Task Force for Fact-Finding on Violations of the People’s Right to Vote (headed by Kim Taehun, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office) announced on the morning of July 23 that it is conducting search and seizure operations at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, as well as the election commissions of Songpa-gu, Gangnam-gu, and Seocho-gu. The search and seizure warrants reportedly list charges such as falsification of official electronic records and obstruction of official duties.

The task force explained, "We have found indications that officials at the Central Election Commission and Gyeonggi Election Commission entered false turnout figures for the recent local elections, and we are conducting search and seizure operations related to this as well." The joint task force reportedly confirmed that lower-level commission employees responsible for managing local polling stations arbitrarily altered statistical figures in the system to conceal errors in recording the number of voters.

The task force was launched on June 9, following instructions from President Lee Jaemyung to promptly clarify the circumstances behind the ballot paper shortage that occurred during the 6·3 local elections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.