South Korea’s Central Election Commission under investigation for vote‑count falsification

During the June 3 local elections, the real‑time vote‑count system of the Central Election Commission recorded zero voters for several hours at 49 polling stations in Gyeonggi Province, including sites in Pyeongtaek and Guri, despite earlier high turnout. The anomalies suggest that staff entered false figures to mask earlier data‑entry errors.

The joint investigation team has summoned a senior Central Election Commission official (identified as “A”) and a Seoul district election office chief for questioning. A is accused of providing an Excel‑based "manipulation guideline" that instructed election staff to falsify numbers rather than follow official correction procedures. The probe also covers similar irregularities reported in Kimpo, Uiwang, and Jinchon, and is examining whether the falsified data affected the allocation of election‑day ballot papers.

Investigators contend that the lack of public transparency for hourly voter counts allowed the alleged manipulation to go undetected, and they are assessing whether this practice was isolated or part of a broader pattern within the election administration.