The special investigation team of the Election Commission, led by Lee Tae-han, officially launched its probe into the voting irregularities from the June 3 local elections.
On September 7, the team held a ceremony at its office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, marking the start of its investigation. Attendees included special prosecutors Park Hyuk, Kim Eun-jung, Kim Sang-cheon, Kwon Geun-hwan, and Kim Jin-woo, along with investigation support team leader Ha Jong-chan.
In his remarks, the special prosecutor stated, "Today’s ceremony marks the official start of our investigation into the allegations of infringement on citizens' voting rights. This investigation is crucial for protecting the constitutional right to vote and restoring the fairness and credibility of elections. We will conduct our work with a heavy sense of responsibility, swiftly and thoroughly."
He added, "We will ensure that legal procedures and human rights are fully respected during the investigation and will not be swayed by unverified allegations or political controversies. We will confirm the facts solely through objective evidence and transparently explain the results to the public."
The investigation period is set for 90 days but can be extended twice for 30 days each, allowing for a maximum duration of 150 days. The team will investigate 12 allegations, including vote manipulation, unnecessary business trips, and preferential contracts, while examining overall management failures within the Election Commission.
To facilitate this, the team began analyzing investigation records and evidence received from the joint investigation headquarters on September 2, which focused on the infringement of citizens' voting rights.
The special investigation team plans to concentrate its efforts on determining the involvement and responsibility of the Election Commission's leadership based on the management failures and misconduct identified by the joint investigation headquarters. They will also look into the process by which the Election Commission arbitrarily set guidelines for the number of voters and the decision to print ballots at only 50% of the voter count.
Speaking to reporters, the special prosecutor explained the need for on-site investigations at the Olympic Park counting center, stating, "There are various reasons for requesting the preservation of the site, but we believe there are aspects of the voter lists and related documents that need to be verified." He continued, "The issue of ballots was postponed during the recent National Assembly audit, and ultimately, we were unable to conduct on-site verification. The special investigation team will carry out on-site verification within the legal limits allowed."
Regarding the materials received from the National Police Agency, he noted, "I cannot disclose specific details, but they are only preliminary materials. The special investigation team will start anew with a fresh perspective and will not base our investigation solely on the findings of the special investigation unit but will reassess the situation independently."
The team is also working to expedite the recruitment of necessary personnel. The special prosecutor mentioned, "We expect to have about 15 dispatched personnel, and we are in discussions with the Ministry of Justice regarding the remaining five, so most of them should be dispatched shortly. With the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency in October, we also plan to request additional investigators there."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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