Special counsel conducts second day of searches at NEC over alleged improper payments of fair-election promotion activity expenses

[Financial News] The special counsel team led by Lee Tae-han, which is investigating alleged misconduct at the National Election Commission (NEC), launched a large-scale search of the commission for a second consecutive day over allegations of improper payments of fair-election promotion activity expenses (Gongchubi).
The special counsel team said in a media notice on the 3rd that it was conducting searches that day, as it had the previous day, of offices used by NEC commissioners and the secretary-general’s office, among other locations, in connection with allegations of improper Gongchubi payments.
Searches are also continuing for a second day at the residence of a former NEC secretary-general and 11 NEC departments in connection with allegations including losses to the state treasury and others under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, obstruction of the exercise of rights through abuse of authority, and preparation of false official documents. The previous day, searches were conducted at 18 departments, and the additional searches are understood to be taking place at departments where the work was not completed.
A total of 38 people, including two prosecutors and 14 digital forensics investigators, were deployed for the searches that day. The special counsel team said it was executing the warrants over two days because the scope of the searches was broad. The previous day, searches were conducted for about 12 hours and 30 minutes, from 9 a.m. until around 9:30 p.m.
The special counsel team is investigating allegations that the NEC paid Gongchubi without a legal basis. Gongchubi is an allowance the NEC has paid monthly in a fixed amount to its non-standing commissioners, including the chairperson.
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 Gongchubi payments, the NEC falsely entered “Not applicable” in the “Comments from external institutions” field of budget documents for 2019–2022 and obtained budget allocations.
The team also found indications that the NEC used funds allocated for other purposes to pay Gongchubi, even though no related budget was allocated in 2024 and the entire budget was cut in 2025.
The annual Gongchubi payments identified by the special counsel team were 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 special counsel team plans to analyze materials seized in the searches to confirm that the budgeting and payment of Gongchubi were unlawful, and to establish whether those involved colluded and the scope of their responsibility.
 



[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter