On June 3, during the main voting day of the 9th nationwide local elections, numerous photos of ballots and polling places were shared in a KakaoTalk open chat room established for the purpose of monitoring election fraud.
According to Yonhap News, the chat room, which has over 300 participants, saw real-time uploads of photos of ballots and ballot count sheets recording the number of voters from the start of voting that morning.
The shared count sheets included the names of polling stations and observers, along with the number of voters. At the bottom of the documents, the phrase 'Joint U.S.-Korea Fraud Investigation Team' was noted. Some photos reportedly included images of ballots that had been marked but were subsequently deemed invalid.
Those posting the photos are believed to have done so to verify their status as election observers or to demonstrate their monitoring of the polling sites.
Current election laws prohibit photographing ballots inside polling places, with violations potentially resulting in up to two years in prison or fines of up to 4 million won. Additionally, the Election Commission restricts photography inside polling stations to maintain order.
Yonhap News reported that the Election Commission is investigating whether the photos posted in the chat room constitute legal violations. A commission official stated, "Those who posted the photos appear to be observers. While it is true that photography inside polling places is prohibited, it seems difficult to legally restrict photography by observers who are performing monitoring roles."
The commission is also reviewing whether photographing unmarked ballots or those declared invalid constitutes a violation of election law.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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