politics
Police Search Election Commission Office in Probe of Former Chief's Travel Expenses
A joint police-prosecution team searched the National Election Commission chairperson's office on July 20, 2026, as part of an investigation into former chief Roh Tae-ak. The probe centers on suspected occupational embezzlement tied to overseas travel and commission funds.
Jul 19, 10:00 PM·1m read1 source
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A joint police-prosecution investigation team raided the National Election Commission headquarters in Seoul on Monday as part of a probe into suspected embezzlement by former chairperson Roh Tae-ak. Investigators presented a warrant naming Roh and other undisclosed NEC officials as suspects before searching the chairperson's office in the morning. Roh's residence was excluded from the search.
The investigation focuses on three overseas business trips Roh took during his tenure to Australia and New Zealand, Germany and Estonia, and Denmark and Sweden. His spouse accompanied him on all three trips, yet the NEC's publicly released post-trip reports omitted that detail. Yonhap reported that the omissions raised suspicions of occupational embezzlement.
A separate investigation is examining allegations that 461 NEC employees took 107 overseas business trips between 2022 and June 2026 to resort areas and tourist destinations including the Maldives, Bangkok, Kota Kinabalu and Florence. The main opposition People Power Party filed a complaint against Roh on June 19, 2026, that initiated the broader inquiry.
Roh resigned last month after ballot shortages disrupted voting at several southern Seoul polling stations during the June 3 local elections.
He attended a parliamentary committee meeting on July 14, 2026, concerning those shortages.
