A joint investigation team formed to probe the ballot shortage issue during the June 3 local elections has commenced its operations. The team is focusing on determining when the Election Commission became aware of the potential for a ballot shortage, how it responded, and whether the reporting and decision-making processes were appropriate.
According to legal sources on June 17, the investigation team has completed its formation of 27 members and has begun its work at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutors and police are accelerating their analysis of seized materials and witness interviews after finalizing the establishment of their network and data transfer.
The team is currently analyzing materials obtained from searches conducted on June 11 at seven locations, including the Central Election Commission and the Seoul Election Commission. The seized documents reportedly include ballot printing plans, service reports, related meeting minutes, and budget execution materials. Investigators are examining how the number of ballots was determined and who made that decision.
A key focus of the investigation is whether the Election Commission recognized the risk of a ballot shortage in advance but failed to take appropriate action.
According to findings from the Truth Investigation Committee, the Songpa District Election Commission and the Seoul Election Commission reportedly identified the possibility of a ballot shortage on the morning of election day. However, a coordinated response with the Central Election Commission did not occur until after 5 p.m., while some polling places had already halted voting around 4 p.m.
The investigation team is working to reconstruct the reporting system and response process from that day. They have begun interviewing polling staff from the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong and are investigating the personnel involved in election operations, aiming to clarify the reporting routes and decision-making processes based on the gathered materials and testimonies.
Particularly, the team is looking into the reasons behind the reduction in ballot printing. The Election Commission reportedly adjusted the printing standard for this election from 60% of the number of registered voters to around 50%. The investigation team plans to verify the procedures followed for this decision and whether there were any issues with the supply of spare unnumbered ballots.
Legal experts consider the investigation's key points to be the 'prior awareness' and 'neglect' of the situation. To apply charges such as dereliction of duty, it must be established that officials recognized the risks but failed to take necessary actions beyond mere administrative errors. Consequently, the investigation team is focusing on the gap between the initial reporting time on election day and the subsequent actions taken.
As the analysis of seized materials and investigations of operational staff progress, the team is expected to expand its inquiry to higher-level officials. Currently, No Tae-ak, the former chairman of the Central Election Commission, and Heo Cheol-hoon, the former secretary-general, are banned from leaving the country due to allegations of dereliction of duty. The investigation team is reviewing whether and when to summon them based on the findings from the operational staff investigations.
The scope of the investigation is also widening. The team is considering ways to secure some of the ballots stored at the Olympic Park counting center, which has been occupied by protesters. Additionally, they plan to investigate allegations of evidence destruction and dereliction of duty related to the disposal of ballot storage boxes at the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.