SEOUL - The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on Friday that during a comprehensive inspection of early voting stations across South Korea, spy cameras were discovered at 26 locations. This inspection comes in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 10, underscoring concerns about privacy and election integrity.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the discovery followed the arrest of a YouTuber, accused of installing spy cameras at several early voting polling stations in Incheon and Yangsan. Police investigations revealed spy cameras at five stations in Incheon, located west of Seoul, and four in Yangsan, approximately 301 kilometers southeast of the capital. The individual in question reportedly aimed to monitor the National Election Commission (NEC) for any manipulation of early voting turnout rates.
With early voting set for April 5-6, the incident prompted an urgent response from authorities. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, along with the NEC, conducted inspections at a total of 3,565 voting stations nationwide. Among these, spy cameras were found in several key locations, including Seoul, Incheon, and the southeastern cities of Busan, Ulsan, Daegu, Yangsan, as well as Gyeonggi Province which encircles Seoul. Some of these facilities were designated for vote counting in the upcoming elections, or had been used for such purposes in past elections.
The ministry has committed to sharing the findings of this emergency inspection with the NEC, which may conduct further inspections after the early voting stations are fully installed next Thursday. The motivation behind the installation of spy cameras remains under investigation, with police efforts ongoing to understand the implications of this breach of electoral privacy.