Investigators raid election watchdog over ex-chief's suspected embezzlement

Roh Tae-ak, former chairperson of the National Election Commission, attends a parliamentary committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday, over ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections. Yonhap

A joint police-prosecution investigation team raided the National Election Commission (NEC) on Monday as part of its probe into suspected embezzlement by its former chief Roh Tae-ak and alleged misappropriation of commission funds.

Investigators began searching the NEC chairperson's office in the morning after presenting a warrant naming Roh and other undisclosed NEC officials as criminal suspects. Roh's residence was reportedly excluded from the day's search.

Roh made three overseas business trips to Australia and New Zealand, Germany and Estonia, and Denmark and Sweden during his tenure, with his spouse accompanying him on all three. The spouse's presence, however, was omitted from the NEC's publicly released post-trip reports, raising suspicion of occupational embezzlement.

The NEC is separately under investigation over allegations that 461 employees took 107 overseas business trips between 2022 and June of this year to resort areas and popular tourist destinations, including the Maldives, Bangkok, Kota Kinabalu and Florence.

The investigation began after the main opposition People Power Party filed a complaint against Roh on June 19 on suspicion of occupational embezzlement.

Roh resigned last month after ballot shortages disrupted voting at several southern Seoul polling stations during the June 3 local elections.