A joint investigation team has been established at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to investigate the "voting paper shortage incident" that occurred during the June 3 local elections.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced on June 9 that the prosecutors and police will work together to thoroughly and swiftly clarify issues that hindered citizens' exercise of their voting rights during the elections.
The team will consist of 27 members, including 12 prosecutors and 15 police officers. Kim Tae-hoon, the deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, has been appointed as the head of the team. Kim is recognized for his expertise in public security, having previously served as the head of the Election Investigation Support Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and as the head of the Public Investigation Division 3 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. He also served as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice last year.
The deputy head of the team will be Go Tae-wan, the head of the 112 Comprehensive Situation Room at the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency. Go has accumulated experience in public crime investigations while working in various units, including the Public Crime Investigation Unit and the Violent Crime Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
Additionally, the police plan to assign one lieutenant and 13 investigators below the rank of lieutenant to the team.
The formation of this joint investigation team is a follow-up action based on President Lee Jae-myung's directive. On June 7, President Lee stated via social media that he instructed the establishment of a joint investigation team involving both prosecutors and police to clarify accountability and thoroughly investigate the incident. Following this, the prosecutors and police completed the organization and personnel appointments within two days after practical discussions.
However, the establishment of an office, the opening of computer networks, and the review of records are still pending, which may delay the actual start of the investigation. The prosecutors indicated that even before the official launch of the team, dedicated investigation teams from both the prosecutors and police would collaborate to proceed with the investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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