Korean special counsel to verify 2.47 million Songpa ballots at Olympic Park

The special counsel team led by Lee Tae-han, which is investigating allegations around the Central Election Commission including the ballot paper shortage in the June 3 local elections, said in a press notice on October 26 that it will carry out a voluntary verification from 09:00 on October 28. The team will examine about 2.47 million Songpa District ballots stored at the Handball Stadium in Olympic Park, together with items including on-site CCTV. Yonhap and Dong-A Ilbo reported that October 29 had been widely mentioned as the date, but October 28 was fixed after consultation with the agencies involved. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 13 ]

The team said it will check whether ballots were added or lost and whether any were forged, as well as the equipment and documents used in voting and counting. It plans to review CCTV from the storage site for signs of outside intrusion. Ballot quantity and the state of marking and printing will be checked first, and abnormal ballots will be separated for a second, detailed examination. Equipment such as ballot sorting machines will be examined for hacking and errors. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 ]

More than 110 special counsel personnel, including the counsel, five deputy counsels, department chief prosecutors and prosecutors, will take part, and the police agency and the National Forensic Service will provide staff and equipment. The election commission will send about 500 staff, who will only assist in counting ballots while the special counsel conducts the verification independently. The Central Election Commission and the Songpa District commission each approved the verification in full-committee votes. About 100 observers, including lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties and a group selected by the National Assembly, and more than 50 journalists will be present. Dong-A Ilbo wrote that evidence verification is usually private but was made public in view of calls for transparency. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 13 ]

The team stressed that this is part of its investigation and not a recount under the Public Official Election Act, which is held when a result is disputed. In principle it therefore will not affect the determination of winners or the vote counts. Newsis reported that the work was expected to last about 15 hours, from 09:00 to midnight, and that ballots judged to be fine would be moved to a warehouse held by the Songpa commission. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 13 , 36 ]

Seoul police said on October 27 that they would deploy 48 riot control units, 150 dialogue police officers and 300 detectives and investigators at the site. They said they would respond sternly to illegal acts that obstruct the verification. Chosun Ilbo reported that one unit is about 60 officers, so more than 3,000 police would be at the site. Police said they had managed the stored ballots since June 5 so they would not be damaged. [ 27 , 31 ]

On October 27 the special counsel team searched the stadium from 08:30 to 14:00 and secured documents and CCTV footage. Chosun Ilbo reported that the warrant named former Central Election Commission chair Roh Tae-ak and other commission officials as suspects for dereliction of duty. On October 28 Yonhap reported that the verification team had arrived at the stadium at 07:59, and that People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk was visiting the site. [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 38 , 40 ]

The team was launched on September 7 and can investigate for up to 150 days. Yonhap and Maeil Business said it is looking into the ballot shortage, forced counting, manipulation of voting statistics, officials' trips abroad, hiring and promotion favouritism, and no-bid contract favouritism. Chosun Ilbo reported that the team said it found false hourly voter-count entries at 30 district election commissions and later six more. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported concern that the team lacks time and staff. [ 6 , 9 , 12 , 16 , 31 ]