politics
Police Raid Seoul Election Offices Over June 3 Ballot Shortages
A joint police and prosecution team searched the offices of 12 election officials in Seoul on Wednesday as part of an investigation into ballot shortages during local elections. The probe, ordered by President Lee Jae Myung, targets decisions by the National Election Commission.
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A joint police and prosecution team raided the offices of 12 election officials in Seoul on Wednesday, Yonhap reported. The officials had overseen polling stations that ran short of ballots during the June 3 local elections. The raids focused on three officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission and nine from the Songpa District Election Commission.
Investigators aimed to reconstruct events on election day, trace how shortages were reported up the chain of command, and determine what directives were issued. The joint investigation team was formed on June 9 under orders from President Lee Jae Myung.
It is examining allegations that the National Election Commission reduced the number of printed ballots too quickly and responded inadequately when shortages occurred.
On June 11 the team raided the National Election Commission itself and seized internal approval documents and voting logs, Yonhap reported. Officials plan to question the 12 targeted staff members once the seized materials have been reviewed. The investigation is expected to widen to senior figures at the election watchdog, including former Chairman Roh Tae-ak and former Secretary-General Heo Chul-hoon.
