In some local governments, such as Pyeongtaek and Guri in Gyeonggi Province, the number of voters during early and main voting failed to increase during certain time slots or recorded abnormally low figures. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Controversy is rising as some polling stations reported "zero" voters during the busy lunch hour on election day, or showed unnatural patterns in voter turnout.

Amid a growing competitive race among major media outlets to report on election fraud, KBS analyzed data from the June 3rd Gyeonggi Province polling stations and released a report on the 29th.

According to the report, the number of voters during specific time slots in some local governments, including Pyeongtaek and Guri in Gyeonggi Province, failed to increase or recorded abnormally low figures in both early and main voting counts.

In Sinpyeong-dong, Pyeongtaek, the number of voters surged to 1,882 as of 10:00 AM, but for the three hours starting at 11:00 AM—a time when voter traffic is typically concentrated—all six polling stations in the ward recorded "zero" additional voters. Effectively, the vote count for the entire ward had come to a standstill.

In Sutaek 1-dong, Guri, 631 voters were recorded in a sudden surge at the 4th polling station at 3:00 PM; however, for the hour immediately following, all four polling stations in the district recorded "zero" voters.

At the 3rd polling station in Galmae-dong, Guri, the number of voters remained at "zero" for two hours after a surge of 620 people.

Similarly, at the 9th polling station in Singal-dong, Yongin, there was no change in the count for two hours immediately after a sudden surge of 547 voters.

Typically, voters tend to flock to polling stations during lunch (around 12:00 PM) and just before polls close. Critics point out that a phenomenon where hundreds of voters surge at a specific time followed by a complete lack of entries throughout the lunch hour is inconsistent with the reality of in-person voting.

The joint prosecution and police investigation headquarters are focusing on the possibility of "voter turnout manipulation" resulting from arbitrary data modification or instructions issued by the National Election Commission. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine if similar abnormal counting cases occurred at polling stations in other local governments.

Meanwhile, regarding the recent trend of major media outlets aggressively exposing election fraud related to the Election Commission, various opinions are emerging, such as: "Reporting is the mission of journalists, and competing for exclusives is the instinct of media outlets! The floodgates have opened," and "Media is no different; the tide has turned, and they have no choice but to follow."

However, it is notable that none of the media outlets have directly used the word "election fraud," leaving some disappointed. In contrast, the comment sections are flooded with the term "election fraud," creating a stark contrast.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee