Special Prosecutor's Office Requests Detailed Forensic Examination of 'All-Blank Ballots Removed' from Prosecution Service and National Forensic Service

The special prosecutor's team (Special Prosecutor Lee Tae-han), which is investigating the shortage of ballots for the the 3rd local elections and other related issues, has requested additional detailed forensic examinations from relevant agencies regarding ballots and other items selected during the voluntary verification process at the handball stadium's tallying station.

The special prosecutor's team issued a press notice on the 9th, stating, "We have completed the quantity confirmation and classification by examination type for the ballots and ballot storage boxes selected during the voluntary verification conducted last month on the 28th of the previous month, which involved Songpa-gu ballots and related equipment stored at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium, and have completed requests for additional detailed forensic examinations to relevant agencies."

The institutions to which the special prosecutor's team requested examinations are two: the Prosecution Service and the National Forensic Service (NFS).

Previously, the special prosecutor's team conducted a voluntary verification of approximately 2.47 million Songpa-gu ballots and on-site closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage for about 13 hours, starting at 11:49 a.m. on the 28th of last month. Approximately 110 special prosecutor personnel, including Special Prosecutor Lee Tae-han, along with forensic equipment from the police and the National Forensic Service, were deployed.

At the time, to ensure the integrity of the ballot verification, approximately 100 people, including observers selected by the National Assembly and members of the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly, as well as more than 50 journalists, were present on site.

The special prosecutor's team stated, "We also requested that these institutions respond with their results as quickly as possible, taking into account the special prosecutor's operational period."