Special counsel raids NEC headquarters for 2nd day over improper stipends

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SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- Investigators raided the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters for the second day Tuesday over suspicions that the election watchdog illegally paid commissioners monthly allowances even after the state auditor noted that such payments lacked a legal basis.

Sixty-five personnel, including four prosecutors, have been mobilized to search 18 NEC offices, including the offices of the chairperson and the secretary general, in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, since Monday, according to the independent counsel team led by special prosecutor Lee Tae-han.

The home of a former secretary general was also searched, officials said.

The independent counsel team has been investigating suspicions of irregularities involving the NEC after the team was launched in early September to look mainly into what led to the unprecedented ballot shortages in June's nationwide local elections and who is responsible.

Among the suspicions are allegations that the NEC illegally handed out monthly allowances to commissioners under the label of supporting their "fair election promotion activity," The amount paid to nine commissioners since 2020 totaled 905.8 million won (US$676,000) and the annual totals exceeded 100 million won each, the threshold for the crime of causing losses to state coffers.

The allowances continued even after the Board of Audit and Inspection warned that such payments had no legal basis. In 2024-2025, no budget had been set aside for the allowances, but the NEC is suspected of going ahead and paying them by appropriating budgets for other purposes.

The National Election Commission headquarters in Gwacheon, south of Seoul (Yonhap)

yusbvtyhtoo@yna.co.kr (END)

Special counsel raids NEC headquarters over improper stipends

Special counsel raids NEC headquarters for 2nd day over improper stipends

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首尔，11月3日（韩联社）——周二，调查人员连续第二天突击搜查了韩国国家选举委员会（NEC）总部，怀疑该选举监督机构非法向委员们发放月度津贴，即便国家审计员指出此类支付缺乏法律依据。

据特别检察官李泰汉领导的独立检察官小组称，自周一以来，已调动包括四名检察官在内的 65 名人员搜查了位于首尔以南果川的 18 个 NEC 办公室，其中包括董事长和秘书长的办公室。

官员称，一名前秘书长的住所也遭到了搜查。

独立检察官小组自 9 月初成立以来，一直在调查有关国家选举委员会违规行为的怀疑，主要目的是调查导致 6 月份全国地方选举中前所未有的选票短缺的原因以及谁应该为此负责。

嫌疑包括国家选举委员会以支持委员“公平选举宣传活动”为名，非法向委员发放月度津贴。自 2020 年以来，向九名委员支付的津贴总额达 9.058 亿韩元（约合 67.6 万美元），每人年度总额均超过 1 亿韩元，达到造成国家财政损失的犯罪门槛。

即使在审计监察委员会警告此类款项没有法律依据之后，这些津贴仍然继续发放。2024-2025年度，预算中并未为这些津贴预留任何资金，但国家执行委员会（NEC）被怀疑挪用其他用途的预算来支付这些津贴。

位于首尔以南果川的韩国国家选举委员会总部（韩联社）

yusbvtyhtoo@yna.co.kr (完)

特别检察官突击搜查NEC总部，调查不当津贴问题

特别检察官连续第二天突击搜查NEC总部，调查不当津贴问题