Amid a Realmeter poll showing Jeong Cheong-rae trailing in both the Honam region and the capital area, his relaxed demeanor on the campaign trail has fueled growing suspicion about what lies behind it.
Democratic Party candidate Kim Min-seok strongly urged Jeong Cheong-rae's supporters to immediately stop proxy-voting activity. Kim described such conduct as a 'criminal attempt at election fraud' and warned that strict legal action would be taken against those involved.
In a Facebook post, Kim asked that police and the commission be notified immediately when proxy voting is discovered and called on citizens to actively report such cases.
One tip-off video captured a supporter holding a Jeong campaign poster taking an elderly voter's phone and carrying out the voting procedure. According to the account, the supporter received the verification number on the voter's phone and handled the pre-voting steps, such as the picture-matching puzzle, to help the voter reach the voting screen.
The worry is that conduct going beyond voting guidance, such as urging voters to choose a specific candidate or influencing them silently, may be judged as not constituting proxy voting under law. Critics warn that if such conduct is tolerated, serious problems could arise for the fairness of online voting and similar improper votes could spread.
Referring to past cases in which illegal interference surfaced late in a primary, he warned that such interference will eventually be exposed. He added that if the interference is the result of an internal power struggle, the burden and sacrifice will only fall on the followers.
He also reportedly trailed by about 5 percentage points in the capital area, including Seoul and Gyeonggi, where he is said to be most confident, though the gap is within the margin of error. Analysts describe results of this magnitude as close to a outright defeat.
Despite trailing in the polls, Jeong Cheong-rae appeared very relaxed on the campaign trail. He was shown cheering and dancing with supporters, projecting confidence. Notably, there was reportedly a day without any official schedule during an important election period, which has led to suspicions that he is not conducting a normal campaign and may have some hidden 'ace in the hole'.
Suspicions of Shincheonji organizational interference around Jeong Cheong-rae continue to be raised. In particular, the movement seeking a 'Honam mother' in Gangwon Province has been cited as an unusual development that is amplifying the suspicions. One source who provided tips to NewsTamsa said the poll results should not be trusted and, according to information they obtained, a substantial bloc of Shincheonji votes will consolidate behind Jeong Cheong-rae.
He is said to have visited Buk-gu almost two out of every three times he went to Gwangju, and sites such as Malbaeu Market and the venue for selecting delegates for a regional reorganization convention are also located in Gwangju Buk-gu-gap and Buk-gu-eul. In particular, a Shincheonji church is located in the Buk-gu area, and this coincidence has further amplified suspicions of links to the Shincheonji organization.
Answers come from the transcript, with the exact spot cited.
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