Special counsel raids election watchdog over alleged bidding corruption

Special counsel teams conducted a raid on the National Election Commission (NEC) in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday. The investigation centers around allegations of bid rigging related to election supplies, with a suspected value of approximately $3.7 million. Lee Tae-han, the head of the special counsel team, led the operation to the NEC's office and four other sites, including companies that supply election materials.

The investigation, which began last month, aims to uncover potential collusion between the NEC and the election supply companies. The allegations specifically target the procurement of polling station supplies for the presidential election held last year and the local elections that took place in June. The special counsel team was established amidst reports of ballot shortages that occurred during the June 3 local elections, along with other alleged misconduct by the NEC.