Joint Investigation Team Raids Office of Election Commission Chair Amid Travel Allegations

The joint investigation team formed in response to the ballot shortage crisis during the June 3 local elections has launched a probe into Noh Tae-ak, the chair of the Central Election Commission, over allegations of overseas trips for personal gain.

According to legal sources on July 20, the investigation team is currently conducting a search of Noh's office at the Central Election Commission. The search warrant includes allegations of misappropriation related to the overseas trip claims.

Noh and unnamed employees of the commission have been identified as suspects. However, it has been reported that Noh's residence was not included in the search targets.

During his tenure, Noh is believed to have taken three overseas trips accompanied by his spouse. The commission's reports to the public did not disclose that his spouse joined these trips.

In response to these allegations, Noh stated last month during a parliamentary inquiry, "I did not request to travel with my spouse. I have always done it this way, and there have been no objections, so I did not have any significant doubts about it."

Noh, who was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in 2020, also served as the chair of the Central Election Commission until he resigned on July 5, taking responsibility for the ballot shortage crisis.

Meanwhile, the investigation team plans to expand its inquiry to include 466 employees who have reportedly traveled abroad to popular tourist destinations.