National Election Commission Raids Signal Data Manipulation Probe

A broad, ongoing investigation into the June 3 local elections in South Korea has found evidence that National Election Commission officials and local election staff manipulated voter turnout data to cover up ballot shortages, triggering multiple raids on NEC headquarters and regional offices. The joint police-prosecution task force has conducted searches at the NEC in Gwacheon and offices in Songpa, Gangnam, and Seocho, with warrants listing charges of falsifying public electronic records and obstructing official duties. Investigators say lower-level staff altered turnout figures and did not follow proper reporting procedures to obtain approval for amendments, effectively concealing discrepancies in turnout. The probe, led by Kim Tae-hoon and initiated after President Lee Jae-myung’s instruction to clarify the ballot-paper shortage, has also involved interrogations and scrutiny of possible misconduct by the NEC and the Gyeonggi Province election commission. Reports indicate that the investigations extend to scrutinizing whether higher-ranking officials, including former NEC leadership, traveled overseas on what were described as official trips, raising questions about governance and oversight. The case has layered in parallel inquiries and the potential for multiple indictments as investigators seek to determine the full scope and responsibility for the ballot shortage."