Exclusive: Election Budget Misappropriated for Personnel Costs

[Anchor]

The controversies surrounding the National Election Commission (NEC) seem endless. An SBS investigation has confirmed that the NEC used budget funds originally allocated for election preparations to cover staff personnel costs. One of the reasons cited was a mass return of employees from leave immediately after the election, following a period where many were on leave during the busiest time leading up to the vote.

Reporter Son Hyung-an has the exclusive report.

[Reporter]

SBS has obtained records showing that the National Election Commission diverted budget funds for purposes other than their original intent over the past three years, starting from 2023.

The total amount reached 30.4 billion won across 255 instances over the three-year period: 3.6 billion won in 4 instances in 2023, 24.1 billion won in 154 instances in 2024, and 2.6 billion won in 97 instances in 2025.

Where were these funds diverted?

Out of the 255 instances of misuse, 212 cases—or 83%—were used to cover personnel costs.

Funds originally earmarked for "election management and supplies," "entrusted election management," "election debate broadcasts," and "international exchange programs" were redirected to pay staff salaries.

The total amount diverted for personnel costs over the three years was 7.3 billion won. The largest portion, 5.9 billion won, occurred in 2024, the year of the general election. The NEC explained to the National Assembly that this was "due to the high number of employees returning from leave."

According to data on NEC employees on leave obtained by SBS, the number of staff on leave peaked at 176 around the time of the April 2024 general election before trending downward, with 114 on leave at the end of September and 127 at the end of December.

As the number of employees on leave decreased after the election, the number of active staff increased by 40 to 50. This led to a rise in year-end personnel expenses, including unused leave compensation and performance-based bonuses, prompting the NEC to tap into other budget categories to cover the shortfall.

[Kim Gi-hyeon / People Power Party Lawmaker: Since the budget is funded by taxpayers' money, it must be used in accordance with the purposes reviewed by the National Assembly. However, the unchecked NEC has been operating it as if it were their own pocket money.]

In response, the NEC stated that the internal transfer of budget funds falls within the exceptional scope delegated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and is not a violation of the law. They further explained that the 2024 increase in personnel costs was due not only to the rise in returning staff but also to the introduction of manual vote counting.

Reported by Son Hyung-an | Video by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Yoon Tae-ho | Graphics by Im Chan-hyeok | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.