▲ Officials from the joint investigation team of prosecutors and police wait to conduct a search and seizure at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on June 11, regarding the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections.
The joint investigation team of prosecutors and police, tasked with uncovering the truth behind the "ballot paper shortage" during the June 3 local elections, has concluded its search and seizure of the National Election Commission (NEC) servers and is set to begin full-scale summons and investigations starting next week.
According to legal sources on June 14, the joint investigation team completed the search and seizure of the NEC servers yesterday.
The seized materials include internal NEC messenger logs and records of administrative approvals.
Based on these materials, the team plans to identify the decision-making process that led to the NEC reducing the number of printed ballots to 50% of the number of eligible voters, as well as the subsequent events that led to the shortage and the overall response measures taken afterward.
In particular, the investigation is expected to focus on whether there were internal objections or concerns within the NEC during the decision-making process, and whether influence was exerted by higher-ups, including former NEC Chairperson Noh Tae-ak.
The joint investigation team is accelerating the setup of its office and the analysis of the seized materials over the weekend.
The police team dispatched to the joint investigation unit has also completed its formation and is currently working on classifying and handing over the seized items at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division.
The joint investigation team plans to finalize the setup of its office within the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office early next week and bring together the investigative personnel from both the prosecution and the police.
As soon as the transfer of investigative materials is complete, they will begin questioning NEC working-level staff as witnesses.
The joint investigation team is expected to first summon staff from the Songpa, Seocho, Gangnam, Gwangjin, and Dongjak District Election Commissions—where the ballot shortages occurred—to reconstruct the situation on the ground. Based on these findings, they will likely proceed with summoning higher-level officials, including former Chairperson Noh Tae-ak.
The core issue of this investigation is whether NEC officials used illegal methods or exerted undue influence in the process of deciding the number of ballots to be printed and responding to the shortage.
When the joint investigation team conducted searches and seizures at seven locations, including the National Election Commission and the Seoul City Election Commission, on June 11, the warrants specified charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, dereliction of duty, and professional embezzlement and breach of trust.
Article 85 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that public officials and others may not exert undue influence on elections in connection with their duties or by using their status.
Article 237 of the same act is a provision that punishes those who "interfere with the freedom of an election by illegal means."
The charge of dereliction of duty is also difficult to prosecute based on simple negligence; it can be applied if an individual intentionally failed to perform their duties while being aware of them.
Therefore, even if it is acknowledged that the NEC's ballot shortage caused disruptions to the election, the crucial point will be whether NEC officials recognized these problems and yet used their positions to exert undue influence or employed illegal methods.
The joint investigation team intends to focus its investigative capabilities on reconstructing the NEC's decision-making process and identifying the root causes of the ballot shortage through the analysis of seized materials and the questioning of relevant individuals.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.