Election Commission Special Prosecutor Opens Temporary Office to Begin Investigations

The special prosecutor investigating allegations of ballot shortages in the June 3 local elections opened a temporary office on August 24.

The Election Commission Special Prosecutor announced that it has established its temporary office in the The Base Seocho building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and plans to begin operations in the afternoon with the special prosecutor and special investigators.

The office will occupy nine floors from the 7th to the 15th of the 15-story building.

Appointed on August 18, the special prosecutor will spend up to 20 days preparing for the investigation. During this period, it is expected to finalize the appointments of deputy special prosecutors and begin forming the main investigation team.

According to the Election Commission Special Prosecutor Act, the special prosecutor can assemble a team of up to 165 members, including five deputy special prosecutors, 70 special investigators, and up to 20 dispatched prosecutors and 70 dispatched public officials.

Following the completion of appointments, the main investigation is expected to commence in early September. The special prosecutor is authorized to conduct investigations for 90 days, with the possibility of extending the period by two additional 30-day increments, allowing for a maximum of 150 days of investigation.

The investigation will focus on 12 allegations, including: 1) violations of voting rights due to ballot shortages; 2) manipulation of election statistics, including voter turnout; 3) management issues related to essential election materials, such as ballot storage boxes; and 4) misconduct allegations involving current and former members and staff of the Election Commission, including overseas trips and preferential contracts related to their duties, among other incidents identified during the investigation process.