Special Counsel Secures Seoul Handball Gymnasium in Ballot Shortage Probe
South Korean investigators seized election records and surveillance camera footage at an Olympic park facility on October 27, 2026, targeting evidence tied to a ballot shortage during regional voting earlier that year. The special counsel team deployed two prosecutors and 12 forensic investigators to the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul. The site houses approximately 2.47 million ballot papers cast in Seoul’s Songpa District.
The search warrant lists Rho Tae-ak and other election officials as suspects on charges including dereliction of duty. Investigators plan to conduct a voluntary verification of the stored ballots on October 28 with the commission’s consent, checking for hacking traces, equipment errors, and the exact quantity of the paper records.
Execution of the Search Warrant at Songpa District Storage
Special Counsel Lee Tae-han dispatched personnel to the venue at approximately 8:30 a.m. to secure voting and vote-counting documents generated during the June 3 local elections. Protesters had previously blocked the removal of the ballots from the gymnasium amid widespread public calls for accountability and a rerun of the elections.
The facility served as a vote counting center earlier in the year before turning into a storage site surrounded by demonstrations. Police previously removed banners calling for election reruns outside the structure in September. Investigators are reviewing closed-circuit television footage to identify any signs of external intrusion into the storage location before the scheduled verification.
Scope of the Ongoing Special Prosecutor Investigation
The inquiry stems from a special counsel team launched on September 7, 2026, to probe 12 suspicions surrounding the National Election Commission. Those allegations include preferential contracting, election statistics manipulation, and the ballot paper shortage that forced voters to turn back without casting ballots during the June local polls.
Investigators previously expanded their probe into administrative discrepancies. On October 15, the team confirmed false entries of voter counts by time slot across 30 municipal election commissions nationwide, followed by six additional confirmed cases on October 22. The current phase focuses on determining organizational involvement in those false entries alongside the ballot shortages.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Handball Stadium Investigation
Why are 2.47 million ballots stored at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium?
The facility served as a vote counting center for Seoul’s southeastern Songpa District during the June 3 local elections and subsequently became a secure storage site for the ballots after protesters blocked their removal.
Who is leading the special counsel team inspecting the election materials?
Special Counsel Lee Tae-han directs the investigation team, which deployed prosecutors and forensic investigators to execute the search and seizure warrant on October 27.
What specific charges are listed against officials in the warrant?
The search and seizure warrant names Rho Tae-ak and other election officials as suspects on charges including dereliction of duty.