Election Commission Special Prosecutor Stations Forensic Investigators at NEC

The special prosecution team led by election commission Special Prosecutor Lee Tae-han, investigating the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections, said Monday that it began stationing forensic (digital data analysis) specialists inside the National Election Commission (NEC) on the 22nd to examine allegations of election statistics manipulation and the state of the commission's system operations. The investigators will directly verify the management and security of the election management system, as well as whether any data was manipulated, concealed, or destroyed, based on the Special Prosecutor Act and the Criminal Procedure Act. The special prosecution team expects the verification process to take several weeks or more.

The team has completed a preliminary analysis of materials secured through raids on 10 election bodies, including the NEC, on the 17th of last month, and has begun questioning those involved.

The team plans to consult with expert advisory members composed of domestic forensic specialists to enhance the objectivity and reliability of the verification, and will explain necessary matters to the public within the range that can be disclosed, depending on the progress of the forensic analysis.