The special counsel team on the National Election Commission (NEC special counsel), which will investigate allegations surrounding the National Election Commission, including the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections, was formally launched on the 7th. Special Counsel Lee Tae-han (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 22) said, "If necessary, we plan to conduct an on-site inspection of the ballot counting center inside Olympic Park."
The NEC special counsel held a signboard unveiling ceremony at 10 a.m. on this day at its office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, formally opening the investigation.
After the ceremony, Special Counsel Lee said at a press briefing that they plan to conduct an on-site inspection of the ballot counting center inside Olympic Park. Earlier, on the 31st, Lee sent an official letter to the National Election Commission requesting preservation of the site.
Regarding the background of the site preservation request, Lee said, "What triggered this special counsel appointment was also the ballot counting center at Olympic Park," adding, "It appears there will be items to verify regarding the voter lists and various voting-related documents kept on-site, and since the National Assembly special committee of inquiry could not conduct an on-site inspection last time, within the bounds permitted by law and in accordance with procedure, we will determine the grounds and subjects for on-site inspection and carry it out if necessary."
Lee said they are currently analyzing investigative and evidentiary materials handed over by the Joint Investigation Headquarters of Police and Prosecution for Getting to the Bottom of the Infringement of People's Suffrage. However, Lee said, "We will not conduct the investigation premised on the fact-finding results of the joint headquarters; we will begin a fresh, full-scale investigation based on the special counsel's internal judgment."
Fifteen prosecutors seconded to the special counsel team have joined so far. Lee said, "Thanks to good cooperation from the Ministry of Justice, the Korean National Police Agency, and the Prosecution Service, we have assembled enough personnel for the initial settlement of the special counsel team," adding, "We are continuing to consult with the Ministry of Justice on the remaining five, and we expect most of them to be seconded in the short term." Lee also said they plan to visit the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), which launches on Oct. 2, to request additional dispatch of investigators.
At the briefing, Lee personally introduced special counsel assistants Park Hyuk (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 22), Kim Eun-jung (class 38), Kim Sang-cheon (Bar Exam class 1), Kwon Geun-hwan (class 2), and Kim Jin-woo (class 3). Lee said, "In selecting special counsel assistants this time, we placed greater weight on actual investigative ability, legal expertise, understanding of digital technologies, and political neutrality and objectivity, rather than specific backgrounds or affiliations."
The special counsel team, which officially opened its investigation on this day, will probe 12 allegations for up to 150 days, including manipulation of voting statistics, junkets disguised as business trips, and preferential contracts, and will examine overall election management failures and wrongdoing in the NEC's operations. Lee said, "All members, including myself, will investigate based solely on objective evidence in accordance with the law and principles."