(LEAD) Investigators to question election workers over ballot shortage

Lead

SEOUL — A joint team of police investigators and prosecutors is intensifying its probe into the ballot paper shortages that disrupted South Korea's June 3 local elections, with plans to question election officials at multiple levels, according to legal sources. The investigation comes as the National Election Commission (NEC) faces mounting public backlash, a potential financial audit, and continued protests demanding a re-run.

Coverage Comparison

All reporting on this story comes from Yonhap News Agency, which has covered the unfolding events through multiple dispatches. Accounts have consistently detailed the scope of the problem — voting was temporarily suspended at 26 polling stations, mostly in Seoul — and the investigation's focus on whether NEC officials exerted undue influence over ballot printing and how they responded to the shortages.

Later Yonhap reports added that the investigation has expanded to include raids on the offices of 12 election officials and questioning of eight civil servants who managed polling stations in Seoul. The reports also noted that the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) is preparing a financial audit of the NEC, while protests at a Seoul gymnasium have continued for 18 consecutive days.

Key Claims

Investigation Details

According to Yonhap, a joint police-prosecution team completed a search and seizure of NEC's servers on June 14 to secure internal messages and other records. The team also raided seven locations, including the NEC's headquarters, on June 11. On June 24, investigators raided the offices of 12 election officials — three from the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission and nine from the Songpa District Election Commission — to reconstruct the events on election day and trace how ballot shortages were reported up the chain of command.

The probe, launched on June 9 under orders from President Lee Jae Myung, is investigating allegations that the NEC hastily decided to reduce the number of printed ballots and failed to respond effectively to the shortages. Investigators plan to question the 12 officials after analyzing seized materials, and are expected to expand their probe to high-level NEC officials, including former Chairman Roh Tae-ak and former Secretary-General Heo Chul-hoon.

Eight civil servants, who were mobilized to manage two polling stations in Seoul that experienced shortages, were asked to appear for questioning as of June 22. Investigators plan to question them about the watchdog's response measures at the time.

NEC's Apology and Position

The NEC has apologized for the ballot shortages, saying it failed to print enough ballots due to an incorrect prediction of voter turnout. However, according to Yonhap, the commission maintains that the shortages neither warrant a re-run nor altered the election results. The NEC's former chief resigned over the incident.

Audit and Calls for Reform

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has begun collecting data for a financial audit of the NEC, scheduled for around July, BAI Chair Kim Ho-cheol said on June 24. Kim noted that the decision followed a meeting of the Council of Commissioners and that the audit would focus on whether the budget for printing ballot papers was appropriately allocated and executed.

The NEC is an independent constitutional organization not subject to a full performance audit, but an accounting audit is deemed permissible as it carries no political implications. Calls have mounted for a thorough reform of the NEC and even its dismantlement, according to Yonhap. President Lee Jae Myung has also suggested that amending the Constitution could be considered to increase oversight.

Protests and Police Response

Protests demanding a re-run of the elections have continued for 18 consecutive days as of June 22, with demonstrators blocking entrances to the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul to prevent officials from removing ballot boxes. Yonhap reported that earlier protests peaked at about 19,000 people on a Saturday night, though the number had dropped to around 600 by the morning of June 14.

Acting National Police Agency chief Yoo Jae-seong said police have refrained from forcibly dispersing the protesters and stressed the need for "social consensus" to remove the ballot boxes, while noting the police have to consider public safety and other factors.