Special counsel searches 18 locations, including offices of National Election Commission chair and secretary-general, over alleged loss of state funds

[Financial News] On the 2nd, the special counsel team led by Lee Tae-han, which is investigating alleged misconduct at the National Election Commission, launched a large-scale search and seizure at 18 departments, including the offices of the National Election Commission chair and secretary-general, over allegations of improper payment of fair election promotion activity expenses (Gongchubi).
The special counsel team said in a press notice that, beginning at around 9 a.m. that day, it was securing materials from 18 departments, including the offices of the National Election Commission chair and secretary-general, related to allegations including causing losses to the national treasury, etc., under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes; abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights; and preparation of false official documents.
A total of 65 people were deployed for the search and seizure that day, including four dispatched prosecutors, one of them a senior prosecutor, and 25 digital forensics investigators. The special counsel team is also searching the residence of the former secretary-general of the National Election Commission, who is suspected of issuing unlawful and improper instructions to pay Gongchubi to non-standing commissioners in 2024–2025.
Gongchubi is a fixed monthly allowance that the National Election Commission has paid to its non-standing commissioners, including the chair. The special counsel team found indications that, despite being told by the Board of Audit and Inspection and the National Assembly that there was no basis for the payments, the commission falsely entered “Not applicable” in the “Issues Raised by External Organizations” field of its budget documents for 2019–2022, secured budget allocations and made the payments.
The team also found indications that, although no related budget was allocated in 2024 and the entire budget was cut in 2025, funds allocated for other purposes were used to pay Gongchubi.
The annual Gongchubi payments identified by the special counsel team totaled 905.8 million won: about 171.5 million won in 2020, about 210.92 million won in 2021, about 200.28 million won in 2022, 215.4 million won in 2024, and 107.7 million won through the third quarter of 2025. Payments were suspended in 2023. The team believes that the payments in every year exceeded the 100 million won threshold for the offense of causing losses to the national treasury, etc. under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.
The special counsel team plans to analyze the seized materials to determine how the Gongchubi budget was allocated and spent, as well as the related instruction and reporting chains. In particular, it will examine how the payments continued for years or resumed after being suspended despite repeated objections that there was no basis for them, and determine whether the highest-ranking officials colluded and the extent of their responsibility.
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter