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South Korean election investigators raid arena storing Songpa ballots

The special counsel is securing surveillance recordings ahead of a planned inspection, as MBC revisits allegations of ballot shortages and altered turnout records.

Channel: MBCNEWS ·

South KoreaStory of October 27, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of MBCNEWS's most watched videos since yesterday, with 8,103 views.

MBCNEWS: The news division of MBC, a publicly owned South Korean broadcaster. 6.2M subscribers and 31B views.

[속보] '선관위' 특검, CCTV 등 확보.. 올림픽공원 핸드볼경기장 압수수색 - [MBC 뉴스속보] MBC뉴스 2026년 10월 27일

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:03MBC reports suspected false voter-count entries at 30 local election offices and searches of election authorities.
2:47The special counsel's mandate covers ballot shortages, recruitment allegations and other issues over a maximum of 150 days.
4:39Earlier reporting describes allegations that hourly turnout figures were adjusted using spreadsheets.
8:45A fact-check segment examines the election commission's independence, audit oversight and comparisons with overseas institutions.
11:04Reports revisit alleged recruitment favoritism involving senior officials' children and earlier audit findings.
13:03An earlier bulletin outlines plans to inspect Songpa ballots and surveillance recordings at the Olympic Park arena.

Prosecutors and forensic investigators have searched an Olympic Park handball arena in Seoul where election materials from Songpa District are stored, seeking surveillance recordings and documents for an investigation into South Korea's election commission.

South Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) reports that the special counsel sent investigators to the arena on October 27. The team says it is securing CCTV recordings from inside the building ahead of a planned inspection of the materials held there. An earlier report included in the compilation says the site contains about 2.5 million Songpa ballots.

The investigation follows ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections. The National Election Commission is an independent constitutional institution responsible for administering elections and referendums. MBC's compilation places the arena search within a wider inquiry into election administration, turnout statistics and recruitment practices.

In its opening bulletin, MBC reports that investigators identified indications of false voter-count entries at 30 local election offices. Earlier reports describe allegations that staff adjusted hourly turnout figures and used spreadsheets to make the numbers fit. One segment highlights records showing no voters over a five-hour period; another describes hundreds being recorded as thousands. These are allegations about election statistics presented in the broadcaster's account of the investigation.

The compilation also revisits searches of central and regional election offices, including investigators' examination of staff messenger exchanges. It says special counsel Lee Tae-han's team has a mandate lasting up to 150 days to examine a dozen areas of suspicion, including the ballot shortages and alleged recruitment favoritism involving senior officials' children.

Later segments examine the commission's independence and its position that it is not subject to the Board of Audit and Inspection's scrutiny of official duties. MBC compares overseas oversight arrangements and revisits earlier audit findings and promises of an outside-led review. The arena search brings the report back to the physical election materials and the recordings investigators want preserved before inspecting them.

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