Special Counsel appointed to investigate 12 allegations against unbridled power
log date: 2026-8-28
Added photos: 2026-8-30
Watch and read more: https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=8632249
Special counsel(특검) in South Korea:
Under the Special Prosecutor Act concerning the NEC Korea case, the special prosecutor team is composed of up to 165 personnel in total, including 5 assistant special prosecutors, up to 20 dispatched prosecutors, 70 special investigators, and up to 70 dispatched public officials.
Attorney Yee who was appointed as the special counsel, built his practical expertise across various fields—including special investigations, general criminal investigations, and trial litigation—during his 18-year tenure with the prosecution.
Given this background, lawyer Tae-hahn Yee—an alumnus of the same school—would have garnered greater public trust than concern, despite being merely a junior graduate. However, this school is also the alma mater of another president: the 19th President Moon, a figure emerging as deeply implicated in the cases that triggered the escalation of corruption within the NEC Korea.
A few days ago, a former Kenyan vice president pointed to a high risk of election fraud in the country, identifying electronic voting and vote counting equipment supplied by the South Korean company "Miru Systems" as a key factor.
Upon encountering reports regarding 'Miru Systems'—the election equipment supplier implicated in allegations of electoral fraud raised by Kenya's former vice president—South Koreans are expressing deep concern about the future of the nation and the world in which their children will live.
South Koreans in their 40s and 50s—the parents of young Koreans—worry that their children could face retaliation from the affected nations in the future. They strongly advocate for urgent electoral reform and a ban on the sale and export of election equipment.
The 12 allegations (subjects of investigation) specified in the "Special Counsel Act on the National Election Commission" generally fall into three categories: poor election administration, statistical manipulation, and mismanagement or preferential treatment and misconduct.
The key allegations are as follows:
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| According to the vote count input log records of a polling station in the metropolitan area during the June 3 local elections, the number of votes for 1:00 PM was entered at 11:28 AM. The input times for three polling stations in the same neighbourhood are identical down to the second. This suggests that someone entered a random number of votes all at once before the votes were even cast. Reported by Ye-seul Hyun, KBS News on 2026-8-9. |
Watch and read more: https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=8632249
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| The National Assembly passed the 'National Eelction Commission Special Prosecutor Act' at a plenary session with 226 votes in favor, 2 against, and 0 abstentions out of 228 members present. The NEC Special Prosecutor Act aimed at investigating the ballot paper shortage and allegations of statistical manipulation during the June 3 local elections. Reported by Ye-seul Hyun, KBS News on 2026-7-30. |
On August 18, 2026 (KST), lawyer Tae-hahn Yee(이태한), a former special investigation prosecutor, was appointed as the special counsel to investigate 12 allegations against the National Election Commission (hereinafter NEC) in South Korea.
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| Special Counsel Tae-hahn Yee(이태한), reported by KBS News | photo by Yonhap news agency |
Special counsel(특검) in South Korea:
An independent lawyer appointed by the incumbent president to investigate and, if necessary, indict specific high-profile cases where the Ministry of Justice faces a conflict of interest.
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The special prosecutor team, formed to investigate allegations of infringed voter rights—such as the ballot paper shortages during the June 3 local elections—has been granted the authority to conduct an investigation for up to 150 days, following a 20-day preparatory period mandated by the Special Prosecutor Act. This marks the longest investigation period in the history of special counsel probes.
Under the Special Prosecutor Act concerning the NEC Korea case, the special prosecutor team is composed of up to 165 personnel in total, including 5 assistant special prosecutors, up to 20 dispatched prosecutors, 70 special investigators, and up to 70 dispatched public officials.
Attorney Yee who was appointed as the special counsel, built his practical expertise across various fields—including special investigations, general criminal investigations, and trial litigation—during his 18-year tenure with the prosecution.
Since his initial appointment as a prosecutor at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office in 1994, he has held key positions such as Chief of the Trial Division at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office, Chief of the Special Investigation Division at the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office, and Chief of the Trial & Litigation Division as well as Chief of the Criminal Division 4 at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office.
Law Firm Dong-in(동인), where Special Counsel Yee has practiced, previously served as legal counsel for the NEC Korea. Given this fact—as well as the fact that the special counsel is an alumnus of Gyeong-nam High School—many South Koreans question whether his special counsel team can truly conduct a rigorous investigation into the NEC and root out corruption.
Regarding questions about the relationship between the NEC and the law firm Dong-in, the NEC stated that it currently has no contracts for legal advice or litigation representation. Meanwhile, Dong-in previously represented the NEC and secured a victory in a case challenging the legality of the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of the NEC's operations, Case No. 2023 Heon-Ra 5 (2023-헌-라-5).
Regarding questions about the relationship between the NEC and the law firm Dong-in, the NEC stated that it currently has no contracts for legal advice or litigation representation. Meanwhile, Dong-in previously represented the NEC and secured a victory in a case challenging the legality of the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of the NEC's operations, Case No. 2023 Heon-Ra 5 (2023-헌-라-5).
This ruling sent shockwaves through the global legal community by exposing an appalling extent of corruption rampant within the South Korean judiciary.
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| The late Kim Young-sam(김영삼), the 14th President of the Republic of Korea, respected for his outstanding leadership and for swiftly driving through reforms that had seemed impossibly difficult. |
Gyeong-nam High School is renowned as a prestigious institution that has produced the heads of all three branches of government—the legislative, judicial, and administration.
Notably, it is the alma mater of former President Kim Young-sam, who demolished the Japanese government-general building—a shameful remnant of colonial era, dismantled "Hanahoe(하나회)"—a secret military faction behind a military coup, and implemented financial reform through the Real-Name Financial System(금융실명제)—a reform prohibiting financial transactions under pseudonyms or anonymously.
Given this background, lawyer Tae-hahn Yee—an alumnus of the same school—would have garnered greater public trust than concern, despite being merely a junior graduate. However, this school is also the alma mater of another president: the 19th President Moon, a figure emerging as deeply implicated in the cases that triggered the escalation of corruption within the NEC Korea.
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| Photo by law firm Dong-in where lawyer Yee affiliated with. Posted by a facebook user. |
During President Moon’s five-year term (2017–2022), corruption within the NEC Korea escalated to a level dozens of times more severe than in the past. NEC officials appointed by the President Moon, ruling party leaders—such as the late Hae-chan Yee(이해찬) and Jee-won Bahc(박지원)—and figures including Young-gil Song(송영길), Min-seok Gihm(김민석), Ho-jung Yoon(윤호중), and Jin-pyo Gihm(김진표) including opposition party whip Moo-seong Gihm(김무성), Hahn-gil Gihm(김한길) and Sahng-hyun Yoon(윤상현) were reportedly deeply implicated in this corruption.
It was also during the Moon administration that the practice of selling flawed and hack-vulnerable electronic election equipment to various countries began, ultimately causing serious adverse effects on elections abroad.
It was also during the Moon administration that the practice of selling flawed and hack-vulnerable electronic election equipment to various countries began, ultimately causing serious adverse effects on elections abroad.
No specific link between former President Moon and Special Prosecutor Yee has been confirmed yet. However, it is entirely reasonable to infer that the National Election Commission—an agency that has wielded unbridled power for decades without ever undergoing an audit—might have leveraged its connections to former President Moon.
The possibility that the special prosecutor could effectively operate under the direction of former President Moon is raising concerns among many Korean people.
I have only briefly reviewed Attorney Yee's career as a prosecutor and am not familiar with the specific details. However, he appears to be one of those principled legal professionals dedicated to upholding social justice and moral integrity. In my view, he could go either way with or without intervention.
The possibility that the special prosecutor could effectively operate under the direction of former President Moon is raising concerns among many Korean people.
It appears that what truly concerns Korean people is not the suspicion that this special prosecutor might be a corrupt legal professional.
I have only briefly reviewed Attorney Yee's career as a prosecutor and am not familiar with the specific details. However, he appears to be one of those principled legal professionals dedicated to upholding social justice and moral integrity. In my view, he could go either way with or without intervention.
The potential factor cited by the South Korean public for the possible failure of a special counsel investigation into the NEC is the likelihood that corrupt figures in power might attempt to co-opt or bribe the special counsel team to obstruct the inquiry.
This demonstrates that corruption in South Korea has reached such a critical level, suggesting that even people who might otherwise have dismissed such allegations as exaggerated speculation now recognise the severity of the situation and share these concerns.
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The Kenya Times published an article about Miru Systems: South Korean Firm Gachagua Accuses Ruto and IEBC of Planning to Use to Rig Kenya’s 2027 Election, on August 26, 2026. |
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| Gachagua Accuses Ruto and IEBC of Planning to Use to Rig Kenya’s 2027 Election. 2026. 8. 26 |
A few days ago, a former Kenyan vice president pointed to a high risk of election fraud in the country, identifying electronic voting and vote counting equipment supplied by the South Korean company "Miru Systems" as a key factor.
Miru Systems has sold electronic election equipment to numerous countries around the world. Notably, allegations of election fraud have repeatedly surfaced in countries using these systems, sparking riots and protests among outraged voters.
In fact, the risks associated with Miru Systems' business operations came to light after the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan, and Iraq experienced serious turmoil due to the company's electronic election equipment. Given these precedents, concerns are being raised that Uzbekistan and Kenya—countries recently visited by South Korean Minister of the Interior and Safety Ho-jung Yoon—could be the next to suffer similar consequences.
In fact, the risks associated with Miru Systems' business operations came to light after the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan, and Iraq experienced serious turmoil due to the company's electronic election equipment. Given these precedents, concerns are being raised that Uzbekistan and Kenya—countries recently visited by South Korean Minister of the Interior and Safety Ho-jung Yoon—could be the next to suffer similar consequences.
The South Korean public feels deeply disappointed, seeing no prospect of eradicating corruption under the current electoral system where a judge concurrently serves as the chairperson of the NEC.
Upon encountering reports regarding 'Miru Systems'—the election equipment supplier implicated in allegations of electoral fraud raised by Kenya's former vice president—South Koreans are expressing deep concern about the future of the nation and the world in which their children will live.
Some South Korean youth even left comments on the posts covering the public outrage in Congo—sparked by a rigged election—saying, "It is the fault of the election equipment sold by our country's corrupt high-ranking officials. We are truly sorry."It is heartbreaking to see innocent young Koreans feeling a deep sense of guilt as they witness the suffering of foreigners harmed by the actions of NEC Korea and Miru Systems—when, in reality, such wrongdoings are committed by high-ranking officials.These officials have not only brought shame upon the nation but have also left a disgraceful legacy for future generations.
South Koreans in their 40s and 50s—the parents of young Koreans—worry that their children could face retaliation from the affected nations in the future. They strongly advocate for urgent electoral reform and a ban on the sale and export of election equipment.
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| Reported by Seog-woo Hong KBS News on 2019-1-11 Allegations of election fraud spread across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sparking protests throughout the country, and three people died during a violent crackdown. |
The key allegations are as follows:
- Shortage of ballot papers: allegations that voters' rights were infringed upon due to a lack of ballot papers at certain polling stations during the June 3 local elections.
- Violation of procedures regarding the reduction of ballot paper printing volumes
- Forcing the vote count to proceed despite poor management: proceeding with the count without halting operations or taking preservation measures, even after allegations of on-site mismanagement (such as ballot shortages) were raised.
- Manipulation of voting statistics: allegations of "adjustment-based" manipulation, where an election commission staff member corrected an input error—specifically, an incorrect voter count entered into the system—by arbitrarily adding or subtracting the difference from figures for a later time slot, rather than following standard correction procedures.
- Allegations regarding approval and tacit consent by leadership: questions concerning whether the management and leadership of the NEC Korea ordered, were briefed on, and approved such statistical manipulation methods or the entry of false data.
- Overseas trips taken by former NEC Chairperson Tae-ak Noh(노태악) and his spouse: allegations of taking leisure-oriented overseas trips accompanied by his spouse during his tenure, as well as misconduct regarding the selection of destinations and budget execution.
- Leisure-oriented overseas trips by NEC staff: allegations of lax oversight regarding overseas trips taken by officials that were essentially for leisure rather than official business.
- Preferential treatment in hiring: allegations of irregularities in the special hiring of children and relatives, including the children of high-ranking NEC officials.
- Preferential treatment in promotions: allegations of misconduct regarding the promotion of specific individuals during internal personnel processes.
- Preferential treatment in private contracts: allegations of preferential treatment involving the excessive awarding of contracts to specific companies.
- Bid rigging for election supplies: allegations of bid rigging—specifically, securing contracts for election supplies (such as early voting ballot boxes) by using "decoy" companies to create the appearance of competition.
- Collusion between the NEC and companies linked to former NEC officials: allegations of collusion between NEC officials responsible for procurement and specific companies, including those operated by former NEC employees.
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