Special counsel raids NEC headquarters over improper stipends

On Monday, a special counsel team launched a raid on the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, following allegations of improper stipend payments to NEC commissioners. The 65-member team, comprising four prosecutors, conducted a thorough search of the NEC's offices. The NEC is accused of unlawfully disbursing monthly stipends to its nine commissioners, ostensibly for the purpose of ensuring free and fair elections, despite mounting evidence that the payments lacked any legitimate justification.

This revelation comes after the Board of Audit and Inspection and the National Assembly had previously highlighted the absence of any valid grounds for the stipend payments, including the diversion of funds intended for other purposes. The total amount of stipends paid out reached 905.8 million won ($677,000), commencing at 171.5 million won in 2020.

The annual sum surpassed the 100 million won annual threshold established by law for penalizing actions that result in losses to the state treasury. Special counsel Lee Tae-han's team was established in September to investigate the reported ballot shortages.