Seoul:A special counsel team revealed that 30 local election commissions falsified voter turnout data during the June 3 local elections.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the investigation led by Special Counsel Lee Tae-han discovered that local commissions altered voter turnout figures while voting was ongoing, despite the final figures being recorded accurately. This conclusion was reached after reviewing turnout records and questioning over 70 election workers.

Investigators were dispatched to the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, near Seoul, and to six local offices across the country, including Busan's Nam Ward, to collect evidence related to these allegations. Additionally, the team searched the local election commission in Busan and nine other locations to gather evidence on separate allegations of preferential treatment in contracts for election supply storage.

The investigation also indicates that local election commissions in Busan, as well as South Gyeongsang and North Gyeongsang provinces, have engaged in exclusive storage deals with certain companies since 2022, suggesting preferential treatment. The special counsel team was initially formed last month to investigate ballot shortages and related misconduct during the June elections.