The National Election Commission (NEC) has been exposed in a parliamentary audit for its alleged false claims regarding "network segmentation security." For years, the NEC insisted that "the internal and external networks are completely separated, making hacking impossible." However, they have now admitted that the two networks were actually connected during the early voting period. (Reported by FN Today on the 1st)

During a recent parliamentary audit, NEC Secretary-General Heo Cheol-hoon acknowledged that "the internal and external networks are connected the day before early voting and for the two days of early voting." If voting proceeded while the networks were connected at the time of early voting, it would have been directly exposed to the possibility of hacking and data manipulation. 

In the past 4-5 years of national elections managed by the NEC, a pattern has emerged where the Democratic Party has overwhelmingly won early votes but lost on election day, leading to the widespread dissemination of claims of fraudulent elections across the country. The inadequacy of network segmentation is not merely a technical oversight; it is a grave issue that shakes the very foundation of democratic governance. The time for accountability is finally drawing near. 

A security inspection of the NEC conducted by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in October 2023 also identified network segmentation deficiencies as a key problem. In relation to this, former NIS Deputy Director Baek Jong-wook testified in February during the impeachment trial proceedings of former President Yoon Suk-yeol that "hacking is possible" concerning the NIS's security inspection of the NEC. 

In a public hearing, former Deputy Director Baek stated, "During the security inspection, vulnerabilities were discovered at the interfaces between the NEC's internet network, work network, and election network." He explained that if the networks were strictly separated, external intrusion by hackers would be impossible, but the NEC had interfaces between networks, allowing for external intrusion into the election network via the internet. The election network is the internet network used by the NEC when citizens vote, and it manages the information of 44 million voters. Ultimately, the nation's heart has been breached.

At the time, this testimony seemed like a bolt from the blue to IT experts. The comments on the YouTube video of the 7th Constitutional Court hearing, broadcast by the Seoul Shinmun, were alarming. They included comments like, "It's 100% wrong that network segmentation isn't done properly. In the military, if you accidentally plug a USB into the internal network, you get an immediate warning and face security responsibility, but even basic network segmentation...wow, it's speechless. It's truly serious." "It's over...fraud is true...I only suspected it, but they didn't even have network segmentation until a few years ago...millions of IT professionals...it's a mess just listening for one minute." and "I am a network linkage developer. We consider a PC contaminated the moment an IP is connected to the internet network. Network linkage equipment uses non-IP high-speed cables." In other words, these comments are testimony that past general elections and presidential elections were all contaminated.

This is not all. According to former Deputy Director Baek's explanation, it is possible to steal the contents of the integrated voter list through external hacking and to manipulate early voting records. It is even possible to substitute voter lists. Even without Baek's testimony, there is already ample physical evidence of fraudulent elections in our society.

The politician who speaks out most forcefully against fraudulent elections in our society is Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty and Innovation Party. Perhaps this is why the Lee Jae-myung administration repeatedly engages in all sorts of despicable acts to silence Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn. Their persistence goes beyond stalking and borders on the pathological. 

The author believes that the raid on Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn's home on October 27th by the Cho Eun-seok special prosecutor team, investigating allegations of rebellion and foreign exchange violations related to the December 3rd emergency martial law, is part of this effort. A special prosecutor's office official stated at the time, "This case was transferred after being reported to the police for alleged incitement to rebellion and is difficult to confirm specific charges."

In this country, the prosecution often dismisses investigations due to insufficient evidence against certain political dissidents. For Representative Hwang, the charges are also difficult to confirm. However, they can still conduct a search and seizure? This is not the prosecution, police, or courts of the Republic of Korea; it is akin to Chinese public security. With just one complaint from an anti-American civic group, a search and seizure can be conducted in South Korea. Why then are these investigative agencies silent as a clam when it comes to complaints about fraudulent elections?

Since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has faced a series of investigations, including an inquiry into illegal electioneering (related to organizations and activities promoting claims of fraudulent elections) and a special prosecution (rebellion special prosecution) and attempted search and seizure for alleged 'incitement to rebellion and incitement.' The current government considers the 'Anti-Fraudulent Election Corruption Prevention Group (Bu Bang Dae)' as an organization that undermines the democratic election order and states it will strictly investigate and respond to their illegal activities according to law and principles. However, the demand from a considerable number of citizens to investigate the possibility of fraudulent elections in the last presidential and general elections is thoroughly ignored or rejected. It is utterly unclear who is actually 'undermining the democratic election order.' If you are confident, refute this. If you are not, then just put them in jail.

If there were no fraudulent elections, there would be no need to react so sensitively to the narrative of fraudulent elections. However, they react unusually sensitively and are squeezing every ounce of power, even from past lives, to silence those who speak of fraudulent elections.

The People Power Party is also a spectacle. If one were to consider the biggest victims of fraudulent elections, after the citizens, it would be the People Power Party. Yet, they remain completely silent on the issue of fraudulent elections. Why do they derive pleasure from self-destruction and self-harm? Perhaps it is a mindset that the Democratic Party is ultimately the path we must take, as in the saying, "Even if bent ten thousand times, it flows east" (Manjeolpidong), meaning it will eventually reach its destination?

Lee Shin-woo, Former Editorial Writer for The Munhwa Ilbo, Author of ‘Fraudulent Elections and Rebels’