It has been determined that the search and seizure warrant executed by the joint investigation team on the 23rd—which targeted the National Election Commission (NEC), local election commissions in Seoul (Songpa, Seocho, and Gangnam), and NEC servers—included materials related to the 21st Presidential Election (2025) as subjects for seizure. [Photo = Yonhap News]

The joint investigation team of prosecutors and police, currently investigating the "ballot shortage crisis" during the June 3 fraudulent election, has initiated compulsory investigations into the National Election Commission (NEC) and relevant local election offices, securing data from past nationwide elections as well.

According to a JTBC report on the 29th, the search and seizure warrant executed by the joint investigation team on the 23rd—covering the NEC, local offices in Seoul such as Songpa, Seocho, and Gangnam, and the NEC's computer servers—was found to specifically include materials related to the 21st Presidential Election (2025).

Furthermore, the joint investigation team has secured materials related to the 8th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections (2022) and the 22nd National Assembly Election (2024) through voluntary submission by the NEC.

The reason the joint investigation team is examining past election data is to perform a comparative analysis between the NEC's previous voting management practices and the current incident. They believe that if similar issues were identified in past elections yet the NEC failed to implement adequate preventative measures, charges of dereliction of duty could be applied more definitively.

Additionally, they have stated that depending on the results of the investigation, they cannot rule out the possibility of expanding the scope of the investigation to encompass all past nationwide elections.

Meanwhile, the joint investigation team is also focusing its efforts on the circumstances and background behind the decision to reduce the minimum number of printed ballots from the existing "60% of regional electors" to "50%" during this year's local elections.

Furthermore, the investigation is gaining momentum; for instance, the team conducted its first summons and interrogation of an official from the Gyeonggi-do Election Commission as a suspect in relation to "allegations of voter turnout manipulation."

There is much speculation regarding JTBC’s self-proclaimed role in reporting on the fraudulent election. Various interpretations have emerged: some suggest it is an act of retaliation after being sidelined following a long history of reporting favoring the pro-Lee Jae-myung regime, or a report driven by a backlash from internal factions that had previously been suppressed. Others suggest it may be influenced by proponents of a cabinet system who aim to switch to 100% electronic counting by citing difficulties in election management.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee