Election Commission Special Prosecutor Extends Travel Ban on Noh Taeak...Continues Investigation as Suspect

Charged with Dereliction of Duty Over Ballot Paper Shortage Incident
Allegations of Junket Overseas Trips Also Under Investigation

The special prosecutor's team from the National Election Commission investigating the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections has extended the travel ban on former National Election Commission Chairman Tae-Ak Noh.

Former National Election Commission Chairman Taeak Noh is deep in thought during the plenary meeting of the Special Committee for a National Audit on the Investigation of the Ballot Shortage Incident and Election Management Reform held at the National Assembly on June 23, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

According to legal sources on the 28th, the Ministry of Justice recently extended the existing travel ban on the former chairman at the request of the special prosecutor's team.

Prior to the launch of the special investigation, Noh had already been banned from leaving the country at the request of the joint investigation team comprised of prosecutors and police. As he served as the chairman of the National Election Commission from 2022 until the recent local elections, he is currently a suspect under investigation for violations of the Public Official Election Act and dereliction of duty in relation to the ballot paper shortage incident.

When some regions faced a shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections, which prevented voters from casting their ballots, Noh announced his resignation on June 5, two days after the election, taking responsibility for the incident.

During his tenure, Noh has also faced allegations of making three overseas business trips with his spouse—to Australia and New Zealand, Germany and Estonia, and Denmark and Sweden—labeled as “junkets.”

The special prosecutor’s team, which was officially launched on the 7th of this month, began a forcible investigation by conducting raids on a total of 10 locations, including the National Election Commission headquarters and nine local election commissions, on the 17th.

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