[News Today] ALLEGED ELECTION FRAUD DISMISSED

[LEAD]
One of the reasons President Yoon Suk Yeol cited for declaring martial law was election fraud. He reiterated these claims at the Constitutional Court. Yet, the National Election Commission, legal authorities, and the courts have all refuted any allegations of fraud.

[REPORT]
June 2021, an electronic ballot counting system is set up in court for the inspection of ballot papers.

This session was aimed at verifying election fraud claims raised by former lawmaker Min Kyung-wook following his defeat in the 21st general election.

After a two year long trial during which some 120-thousand ballot papers were double checked, the Supreme Court ruled that the election was not rigged.

Of the 126 lawsuits on election fraud filed in the aftermath of the 21st general election, no court ruling acknowledged fraudulent activity.

A complaint accusing data manipulation was also filed following the 22nd general election but the police last August concluded the case with no charges found.

The National Election Commission also issued a press release in recent days saying that it's difficult to accept the argument that its computer system is defenseless against hacking and tampering attempts.

Kim Yong-bin / Secretary general, Nat'l Election Commission (Jan. 15)
The Nat'l Intelligence Service said it can't find any trace of fraud concerning
inspection results.

Despite claims that it's impossible to cnduct a search at the election watchdog, there in fact have been 181 raids at the NEC in the past five years, 90% of which took place after President Yoon's inauguration.

Even an internal document of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, an agency that was involved in the botched martial law attempt, reportedly states that election rigging is improbable in South Korea which has a fairly advanced electoral system.

President Yoon's team continued to voice election fraud claims in the recent third hearing of his impeachment trial but such claims have never been acknowledged by the election commission, the judiciary or any law enforcement agency.