Special Prosecutor on Election Commission to Launch Main Investigation on September 7 with Full 20-Prosecutor Team

Two More Prosecutors Join, Bringing Total to Five

Review of Joint Investigation Records Underway

Request Made to Preserve Olympic Park Ballot Counting Site

Selection of Special Prosecutors and Investigators Accelerates

The special prosecutor team led by Lee Taehan, which is investigating various allegations surrounding the National Election Commission—including the shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections—will fill all 20 prosecutor secondment positions by September 7 and officially begin a full-scale investigation.

Special Prosecutor Lee Taehan, who is investigating various allegations related to the June 3 local elections and the National Election Commission, is responding to reporters' questions as he enters the Seoul Seodaemun District Police Agency on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

On August 31, Special Prosecutor Lee announced that, with the addition of one deputy division chief prosecutor and one prosecutor on that day, a total of five seconded prosecutors are now working in the team. So far, those assigned include one division chief prosecutor, one deputy division chief prosecutor, and three prosecutors. The special prosecutor team is planning to fill the legal quota of 20 seconded prosecutors by the end of the preparation period on September 7.

Preparations for the investigation have also begun in earnest. The team has received all existing investigation records from the joint prosecution-police investigation unit and has begun reviewing them with the seconded prosecutors. Based on the analysis of these records, they plan to draw up a detailed investigation plan, and on September 7—simultaneous with the commencement of official special prosecutor work—they will launch the core investigation.

They have also taken steps to preserve evidence. The team sent an official letter to the National Election Commission on this day, requesting that the ballot counting center at Olympic Park remain preserved in its current state, as the National Assembly's Special Parliamentary Investigation Committee effectively concluded its activities. This is a measure to preserve the site so that allegations raised about the shortage of ballot papers and other issues during the local elections can be thoroughly investigated.

The leadership and composition of the investigative team are being finalized in parallel. On August 28, Special Prosecutor Lee shortlisted ten candidates for special prosecutors and requested that President Lee Jaemyung appoint five among them. According to the special prosecutor act, the investigation team can consist of up to five special prosecutors, seventy special investigators, twenty seconded prosecutors, and seventy seconded public officials, with a maximum total size of 165 personnel.

Additional recruitment for special investigators is also underway. The special prosecutor team has requested suitable candidate recommendations from the Korean Bar Association and has also requested cooperation from the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency to second prosecutors and investigative personnel. Once the team is fully formed, it plans to take over the investigation previously conducted by the joint investigative unit and scrutinize all allegations related to the National Election Commission.

The scope of the investigation covers a total of twelve allegations, including the ballot shortage incident and suspicion of manipulation in voting statistics during the June 3 local elections; overseas trips taken by Election Commission officials; illegal hiring and promotion favors; preferential single-source contracts; and collusion with vendors. The main investigation period is 90 days, but it can be extended twice by 30 days each time, allowing for a maximum investigation period of up to 150 days if necessary.

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