Election watchdog searched for evidence over alleged voter turnout figure fabrication

A joint investigation team visited the offices of the National Election Commission (NEC) Thursday to seize evidence over allegations that officials falsified voter turnout figures for the June 3 local elections to conceal their own errors.

The new allegation emerged in addition to the ballot shortage incident, further eroding public trust in the commission.

The investigation is likely to expand, as the commission's problem now goes beyond lax operations and dereliction of duty to falsification of election data, which could constitute a criminal offense.

The joint team, comprising police officers and prosecutors, visited NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and its regional office of the province.

Their warrants state the searches were based on suspicions of falsification of official electronic records and obstruction of official duties.

It found circumstances in which working-level officials at the regional office made a mistake in recording the number of voters and, to cover it up, fabricated the numbers in the data on their own without authorization.

In the event that such ...