Number of Election Commissions Falsifying Voter Turnout Figures Grows to 36

The number of city, county, and district election commissions under investigation by the special prosecutor has grown to 36.

The special prosecution team led by Election Commission Special Prosecutor Lee Tae-han said on the 22nd that it had identified six more municipal election commissions across the country that entered false voter counts during the June 3 local elections. According to Yonhap News, the team pinpointed the six new locations — Chungju in North Chungcheong Province, Nonsan in South Chungcheong Province, Masanhoepo-gu and Masanhowon-gu in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Sangju in North Gyeongsang Province, and Gangneung in Gangwon Province — through analysis of materials seized in raids and interviews with those involved. Adding these to the 30 previously identified, the total number of commissions found to have falsified figures now stands at 36.

Why It Matters

Voter counts serve as foundational data for verifying whether election fraud occurred during the ballot-counting process, by comparing them against the number of ballots. When these figures are entered inaccurately, the accuracy of voting and counting itself can no longer be trusted. The special prosecutor's investigation began after some polling stations ran short of ballots and had to be resupplied during the June 3 local elections. At the heart of the probe is the possibility that figures were falsified to bridge the gap between ballot supply and actual voter numbers.

The spread of the problem is also drawing attention. What initially appeared to be confined to specific regions has now been confirmed to span major metropolitan areas nationwide, from Gangwon to South Gyeongsang and North Chungcheong provinces. Thirty-six out of 229 municipal commissions amounts to roughly 15.7 percent — a scale that critics say suggests this is not an isolated issue but one affecting the election verification system nationwide.

Key Issues and Questions of Responsibility

The special prosecutor's focus appears to split into two directions. The first is determining whether the false entries were simple mistakes or deliberate manipulation to cover up ballot shortages. The weight of responsibility will differ greatly depending on whether the wrongdoing is narrowed down to individual municipal officials or traces back to instructions or tacit approval from the National Election Commission, the higher-level body. The team's parallel efforts — analyzing seized materials and summoning witnesses after the raids — are seen as an effort to establish that chain of command.

The investigation has also been marred by tragedy. A National Election Commission employee in his 40s who had been questioned by the special prosecutor was found dead in the flower bed of an apartment complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on the 21st. According to Hwaseong West Police, the employee had been questioned by the special prosecutor shortly before his death. The incident underscores the mounting pressure on those involved as the investigation moves beyond its initial stages.

Political Reaction and Calls for Reform

Falling public trust in the election commission has spilled into political debate over reform. Considerable disagreement persists between the ruling and opposition parties, as well as within civil society, over whether the National Election Commission can maintain its standing as a politically neutral body. Some argue for structural reorganization, personnel renewal, and the introduction of a digital verification system covering the entire voting and counting process. Others maintain that establishing accountability and preventing recurrence should be prioritized, without undermining the commission's independence.

Depending on how the investigation concludes, legislative discussions on election reform are expected to gain momentum. Follow-up bills could tighten legal requirements for ballot-counting verification procedures or redefine standards for managing ballot supply and distribution.

Schedule and Outlook

The special prosecution team is expected to continue analyzing seized materials and conducting additional interviews at the remaining municipal commissions. The confirmed total of 36 may not be the final figure — the discovery of six additional commissions after the raids illustrates the possibility.

If the investigation reaches the level of establishing intent and the chain of command, summonses and indictments of senior National Election Commission officials are expected to follow. If, however, the findings point to individual errors, the case is likely to wrap up with system improvements. Either way, the investigation has created a moment that calls for institutional mechanisms to improve transparency in voting and counting records. The episode has clearly left behind a task: meaningful follow-up measures must be taken to restore voter confidence ahead of the next election.