[총선 D―11]
26 locations nationwide, including counting centers and main polling places, were discovered… Expert: “A threat to the basic electoral system of democracy”
Police arrest YouTuber in his 40s and 1 accomplice… National Election Commission “Special inspection of voting and counting centers nationwide”
Ahead of the April 10 general election advance voting, the impact is growing as illegal cameras were discovered at 26 advance voting stations, counting centers, and main polling places across the country, including Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gimpo and Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. It is pointed out that this is an unprecedented incident in which voters’ right to vote by secret ballot was undermined just 11 days before the general election, and is a threat to the electoral system, which is the foundation of democracy.
The police announced on the 29th that they had applied for an arrest warrant for extreme right-wing YouTuber Mr. Han (49) on charges of installing illegal cameras in Incheon and Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station urgently arrested Mr. Han at a house in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do around 9:10 pm on the 28th. Mr. Han was found to have installed illegal cameras at nine advance polling places, including Gyeyang-gu, Yeonsu-gu, and Bupyeong-gu in Incheon, and six early voting booths in Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. During the police investigation, Mr. Han reportedly stated, “I installed cameras to monitor the National Election Commission’s manipulation of early voting rates.” The police identified a man in his 70s who was traveling in the same vehicle as Han as an accomplice and arrested him in Yangsan.
As a result of an investigation by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, as of 6 p.m. on this day, there were 1 each in Gangseo-gu and Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, 2 in Namdong-gu in Incheon, 3 in Gyeyang-gu, 3 in Yeonsu-gu, 1 in Bupyeong-gu, 1 in Buk-gu in Busan, 1 in Buk-gu in Ulsan, 3 in Nam-gu in Daegu, and 3 in Gyeonggi-do. It was discovered that illegal cameras were installed in a total of 26 locations, including 1 in Seongnam, 2 in Goyang, 1 in Gimpo, and 6 in Yangsan, Gyeongnam. Additional cameras were discovered in 18 locations, including Incheon and Yangsan, the day before, making it highly likely that cameras were installed in more polling places. Investigative authorities are analyzing evidence obtained through search and seizure of his home to determine whether Mr. Han was also involved in the process of installing illegal cameras in areas other than Incheon and Yangsan. A police official said, “In light of the fact that illegal cameras have been discovered all over the country, we are expanding the investigation to see if the crime was committed systematically.”
When the fact that illegal cameras were installed across the country was revealed, the National Election Commission took a backseat in the afternoon, saying, “We will conduct a special inspection of illegal facilities at all voting and counting centers, including 3,565 early voting centers across the country.” Kim Hyeong-jun, a professor at Pai Chai University, pointed out, “It is a serious crime that can prevent voters from making rational judgments by posing an invisible threat to their voting behavior,” and “It is a clear act of destruction of democracy that breaks the great principles of elections.”
Reporter Song Yu-geun [email protected]Yangsan = Reporter Do Young-jin [email protected]Reporter Kwon Gu-yong [email protected]
