Special counsel raids NEC over fabricated document on security check

On November 12, investigators conducted a search and seizure warrant at the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters in Gwacheon, South Korea, as part of a special counsel investigation. The team, led by independent counsel Lee Tae-han, comprised 25 personnel, including two prosecutors and two contractors. The focus of the investigation is allegations that the NEC falsified an official document to overstate the security of its computer servers.

The suspicion arose from a joint security check conducted in 2023 by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). The initial NEC report claimed a perfect score of 100 for its computer servers' security, but the subsequent reassessment by NIS and KISA reduced the score to 31.5. This marked a significant decline in the perceived security of the NEC's servers, raising concerns about potential vulnerabilities to cyberattacks.

The search warrant is the latest in a series of raids executed by the special counsel team in recent weeks. The team is determined to uncover the reasons behind the NEC's unprecedented shortage of ballots during the nationwide local elections held in June. The investigation aims to shed light on the circumstances that led to the inflated security report and to ensure the integrity of future election processes.