DP Convention Poll Manipulation Allegations

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Moon-soo held a press conference at the National Assembly, calling for severe punishment and disciplinary action regarding obstruction of business and misconduct in the DP national convention public opinion poll. Rep. Kim pointed out that these allegations seriously undermine the party's fairness and trustworthiness, citing reports from citizen media New 탐사 as strong evidence of illegal activities.

Rep. Kim Moon-soo cited reports from New 탐사, raising suspicions that the YouTube channel 'Sisa Tapa TV' induced respondents to provide false information regarding their region and age during the public opinion poll. He criticized this as a serious attempt to undermine the fairness of the poll and distort its results.

CEO Kim Han-mae claimed that while the Democratic Party elected its new leadership at the national convention on August 17, and a majority of party members with voting rights and delegates chose Kim Min-seok as the party leader, only the public opinion poll showed a different result. She alleged that this abnormal outcome was due to illegal interference by 'Team Jeongcheong' operatives.

The press conference was attended by various individuals, including National Assembly member Kim Moon-soo, critic Kim Sung-soo, Pastor Park Seung-bong of Hasaammi Church in Taebaek, Hur Sang-eum, operator of Byeollan Marine Arts TV, and Park Hong, representative of the Cybering Victims' Alliance, who all voiced their condemnation of the alleged poll manipulation.

CEO Kim Han-mae stated that it was revealed that while the public opinion poll accounts for 30% of the total, it effectively carries a weight of 80 votes per person. She claimed that this weighting structure may have led to abnormally favorable results for specific candidates, namely those affiliated with 'Team Jeongcheong,' further strengthening the manipulation allegations.

Critic Kim Sung-soo criticized Lee Jong-won of Sisa Tapa for flaunting his personal friendship with former party leader Jeong Cheong-rae for several years and for acting as an operative for 'Team Jeongcheong' during the Democratic Party's national convention. He claimed that Lee Jong-won had repeatedly obstructed coverage and supported other parties, and emphasized that he should be held strictly accountable.

The press conference statement reader announced that Lee Jong-won of Sisa Tapa used broadcasts to induce respondents to lie about their region and age to give false responses. This act constitutes obstruction of business by deception, and citizen media New 탐사 has secured all related video evidence and records, it was added.

The press conference statement reader pointed out that the results of the public opinion poll differed completely from the previous regional touring votes targeting party members with voting rights. It was claimed that candidate Lee Seong-yoon, who consistently ranked 5th or 6th in the supreme council member vote, suddenly rose to 1st, and candidate Park Sun-hoon, who was 2nd, dropped to 5th, showing abnormally favorable numbers only for 'Team Jeongcheong.' This was presented as clear evidence of poll result distortion.

The press conference statement reader strongly called for a thorough and immediate investigation, severe punishment, and disciplinary action for all illegal and unfair acts committed in the public opinion poll. He emphasized that only these measures can restore the legitimacy of the proud Democratic Party national convention, strongly demanding immediate criminal prosecution by the party and disciplinary action against those involved.

The speaker referred to a similar incident in the 2012 Lee Jung-hee candidate internal party election, where false responses were induced, emphasizing the need for severe punishment. He stated that the aides who led that incident were arrested, indicted, and sentenced to prison, and even ordinary party members who participated were criminally fined without exception, arguing for firm law enforcement in the current case.

The speaker raised suspicions that a specific faction had systematically prepared in advance, such as finding out the 080 number from which poll calls would come and instructing others to unblock it. They broadly circulated this notice for two days, while the faction supporting Kim Min-seok received no such guidance and had to respond to the poll 'blindly.' This was interpreted as an attempt to manipulate results by preparing for a highly weighted poll with 80 votes per person.

The speaker emphasized that Sisa Tapa's broadcast remark of 'securing 200 votes' should be interpreted significantly. Applying an 80-vote weight per person, 200 votes amount to approximately 17,000 votes, which is a serious act where anyone colluding can create a first-place winner. Given that candidate Lee Seong-yoon's actual vote count was 14,400, the speaker claimed that this '200 votes secured' remark likely had a decisive impact on the outcome and called for a thorough investigation. Therefore, it was added that the raw data of the poll should be disclosed to clarify the truth of these allegations.

One speaker stated that a full investigation of over 6,000 broadcasts by Sisa Tapa TV over the past 10 years confirmed consistent favorable coverage of candidate Jeong Cheong-rae. He pointed out that such broadcasting behavior, which consistently praises without normal criticism, would be impossible without a collusive relationship with a specific politician, raising strong suspicions.

The speaker raised questions, mentioning circumstances where complaint cases related to Lee Jong-won were unconditionally transferred to Mapo Police Station, regardless of the person's residence or incident location. This pattern was confirmed in several cases, including the defamation case involving Pyeongtaek candidate Kim Yong-nam in the June 3 local elections, and the fact that most cases resulted in non-indictment decisions at that police station raised doubts about the thoroughness of the investigation. This, he claimed, suggests the possibility of preferential treatment or collusion for a specific individual.

The speaker acknowledged that sharing the primary schedule for ARS calls is a normal part of the election process. However, he claimed there was evidence of illegal intervention by Lee Jong-won's side, such as obtaining information through polling companies or systematically recording and sharing incoming call numbers. He pointed out that this, along with inducing false responses by misrepresenting age and region, could constitute an election law violation, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation.

The speaker stated that Lee Jong-won, in his Monday broadcast, defiantly urged, 'Sue and accuse me quickly.' In response, the speaker emphasized that not only those who planned the contaminated public opinion poll method but all those involved should be rooted out and punished without exception. He expressed a strong commitment to take legal action to eradicate illegal poll manipulation practices through this opportunity.

One speaker stated that a defamation case he personally filed against Lee Jong-won dragged on for a staggering three years, ultimately ending in non-prosecution. He alleged that even the investigating officer at the time admitted, 'This is clear,' yet the case seemed to have been blocked at the police chief level. He criticized these unreasonable investigation results and strongly called for a comprehensive reinvestigation into the allegations of collusion between Lee Jong-won and specific politicians.