Signs of Concealment, Forgery of Tally Sheets in Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education Election; Special Prosecutor Raids Election Commission

Probe into incorrect entry of vote-counting results in Gyeonggi superintendent of education election
Signs employee concealed and forged vote-counting tally sheets uncovered
Investigating possible organized cover-up by election commission officials

Special Prosecutor Lee Taehan's team investigating the National Election Commission has launched a search and seizure after uncovering indications that vote-counting tally sheets for the Gyeonggi superintendent of education election during the June 3 local elections were concealed and forged.

Lee Tae-han, special prosecutor investigating the shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections and various allegations involving the National Election Commission, attends a sign unveiling ceremony at the special counsel's office in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Sept. 7, ahead of the official launch of the investigation. Sept. 7, 2026. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung.

On Nov. 10, the special prosecutor's team said it was searching and seizing materials at the Gyeonggi Provincial Election Commission and the Gwangju City Election Commission in Gyeonggi Province on suspicion of violating the Public Official Election Act and other offenses. A total of 11 people were deployed for the searches: one prosecutor, eight investigators and two digital forensics investigators.

While investigating a case involving the incorrect entry of vote-counting results in the Gyeonggi superintendent of education election, the team found indications that an employee of the Gwangju City Election Commission concealed and forged tally sheets, leading to the results being entered differently from the actual vote count. It is also investigating allegations that the Gwangju City Election Commission intervened to conceal the concealment and forgery.

On June 11, the Gyeonggi Provincial Election Commission issued a public apology over the incorrect entry of vote-counting results. It was revealed at the time that the results from Polling Station No. 9 in Chowol-eup, Gwangju, had been entered a second time under Polling Station No. 2. The commission said the error was made by a vote-counting staff member.

The special prosecutor's team plans to analyze the seized materials to determine how the tally sheets were concealed and forged and whether election commission officials were involved in an organized manner.

The team said, "The concealment and forgery of vote-counting tally sheets by an election commission employee is a serious crime that could fundamentally undermine the fairness of the electoral system. We will establish the exact cause and uncover what happened."

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