South Korean Election Commission Office Raided Over Alleged Voter Turnout Fraud

South Korean investigators raided the headquarters of the national election commission on Thursday (23/7) local time. The search is linked to allegations of falsifying voter turnout figures in the local elections held last June. The raid, as reported by AFP on Thursday (23/7/2026), relates to the nationwide local elections held simultaneously in South Korea on 3 June. It was the first local election held since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year. When the local elections were held, dozens of polling stations reported an unprecedented shortage of ballot papers. The controversy prompted the resignation of the Chairman of South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC), Roh Tae Ak, and sparked protests demanding a re-run. A spokesperson for the South Korean investigation team told AFP that several NEC offices were raided by a special team comprising police and prosecutors on Thursday (23/7). The raid, according to the spokesperson, was conducted after investigators found indications that national and regional election commission officials had falsified voter turnout figures. “We found indications that officials from the National Election Commission and the Gyeonggi Province Election Commission entered incorrect voter turnout figures during the local elections, and we are also conducting searches and seizures related to the parties involved,” the spokesperson said. No suspects have been named or arrested so far in connection with the alleged voter turnout fraud.