Special Prosecutor Raids NEC Over 'Early Voting Ballot Printer and Ink Favoritism'

Project plan allegedly leaked before bidding on 32.1 billion won printer project

Contract violations overlooked; guidelines changed to allow exclusive purchase of consumables

Printers and consumables worth 45.9 billion won... Probe into alleged collusion with company

The Lee Taehan special prosecutor team investigating the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections and other matters has launched a compulsory investigation after uncovering evidence that the National Election Commission (NEC) gave a particular company preferential treatment by providing it with bid information in advance for a project to manufacture early voting ballot printers and allowing it to monopolize the supply of consumables.

The special prosecutor team said it began searching the NEC's Election Infrastructure Division and the offices and factories of related companies at 9 a.m. on November 4. Based on its own investigation and materials received from the Board of Audit and Inspection, the team found evidence that the NEC gave a particular company preferential treatment in selecting a contractor and supplying consumables for a project to manufacture 2024-model early voting ballot printers and purchase consumables.

Signboard of the Lee Taehan special prosecutor team investigating the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections and various allegations involving the National Election Commission. Sept. 7, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung.

According to the special prosecutor team, the NEC leaked its project plan to a particular company before issuing a tender notice for the printer manufacturing project. After the equipment performance evaluation was complete, the company arbitrarily modified the printers so they would recognize only its own proprietary ink, violating its contract with the NEC. The NEC is believed to have turned a blind eye to the violation.

The NEC also changed its internal guidelines to require local election commissions nationwide to purchase consumables such as ink, which they had been instructed to buy from small enterprises or microbusinesses, exclusively from that company through private contracts. The special prosecutor team believes the NEC created a structure that allowed the company to monopolize not only the printers but also the supply of consumables such as ink throughout the printers' 10-year service life.

The printer manufacturing project involved supplying approximately 17,000 units to local election commissions nationwide, with a project budget of 32.1 billion won. It was the largest project commissioned by the NEC in the past five years. The company also exclusively supplied consumables, including ink and maintenance boxes, from December 2023 through July 2026, with purchases totaling 13.8 billion won. The printer manufacturing project budget and the cost of consumable supplies add up to 45.9 billion won.

The special prosecutor team said, "Based on our analysis of the seized materials, we plan to determine whether NEC officials colluded with a particular company and provided it with undue preferential treatment in the process of manufacturing early voting ballot printers and purchasing consumables." It added, "We will do our utmost to uncover the full truth, including the extent of the damage caused to the state, and determine where responsibility lies."

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