The joint investigation team probing the voting paper shortage during the June 3 local elections is examining both the Election Commission's management responsibilities and the appropriateness of its budget execution.
On July 2, the team confirmed the Election Commission's reporting and response system during the voting paper shortage and summoned a complainant regarding allegations of overseas trips by the Central Election Commission.
The investigation is focused on whether the Election Commission properly reported and communicated issues that arose on election day and whether the budget for overseas trips was used appropriately for official purposes. This inquiry goes beyond merely identifying the causes of the voting paper shortage to scrutinizing the overall operation of the Election Commission.
According to legal sources, the team questioned an official identified as A from the planning department of the Seoul Election Commission as a witness. A was responsible for reporting the voting paper shortage at a polling station in Songpa District on election day and communicating the response plan back to the field.
The investigation reportedly focused on how the reporting was conducted after the voting paper shortage occurred in Songpa District, as well as what actions the Seoul Election Commission took. Two members of the Songpa District Election Commission and officials from the Gangnam and Gwangjin District Election Commissions were also questioned as witnesses.
The team appears to be assessing whether the internal reporting system of the Election Commission functioned properly and whether the Seoul Election Commission's situational awareness and response were adequate. The key issue is whether the confusion on election day was merely a practical error or if there was delayed response or mismanagement from higher authorities.
On the same day, the team also conducted a complainant investigation related to allegations of overseas trips by former Central Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak and other officials. Choi Ji-woo, the legal head of the People Power Party's media special committee, appeared at the joint investigation team's office at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office for questioning.
The People Power Party's media special committee filed a complaint on June 17 against unnamed Election Commission officials for embezzlement. On June 19, they additionally filed a complaint against former Chairman Noh.
The complaint alleges that some Election Commission officials improperly used approximately 86.8 million won of the commission's budget during overseas trips to observe the Maldives presidential election in September 2023, as well as trips to Italy, Thailand, and Malaysia. The People Power Party claims that the necessity of these trips was not substantiated and that some itineraries were essentially for leisure purposes.
Allegations against former Chairman Noh include claims that he embezzled approximately 90.5 million won by failing to report his spouse's presence during overseas trips to Denmark and other locations last year.
Choi Ji-woo stated before the investigation, "This is a case of misusing the overseas trip system for public officials to divert state funds for personal tourism or leisure purposes." However, the determination of whether embezzlement charges apply and the potential for violations of national treasury loss laws will need to be confirmed during the ongoing investigation.
The joint investigation team is reportedly aligning facts through the complainant investigations, having questioned a general complainant on June 30 and the People Power Party's complainant on this day. Key issues under investigation include whether the overseas trips served official purposes, whether the budget was used for personal expenses during trips with spouses, and whether the trip reports and post-settlements were appropriate.
The investigation is proceeding along two tracks: one focusing on the Election Commission's reporting and response responsibilities regarding the voting paper shortage, and the other examining the appropriateness of budget execution related to the overseas trip allegations. Both cases may lead to inquiries into whether the Election Commission has been operating appropriately as an independent constitutional body.
The joint investigation team has recently bolstered its personnel. Im Hong-seok, head of the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutor's Office, has been dispatched to the team, and additional prosecutors and police personnel are expected to join. Initially established to investigate the voting paper shortage, the scope of the joint investigation team is expanding to include issues related to the Election Commission's budget execution and organizational management.
Former Chairman Noh stated the previous day in the National Assembly that he would return or donate to the state any expenses related to his spouse's trip. The joint investigation team plans to review the contents of witness and complainant investigations to secure relevant materials and consider whether to investigate the accused individuals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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