Lee Jong-won Rejects Allegations of Instigating Illegal Polls

Evidence has emerged that poll closing information for specific regions and age groups was shared in a group chat. In the video, a participant states, "It was for the 15th, and it was circulating since the 13th. Also, what I found most curious was how did he know where polls were closing by age group?" raising questions about external prior knowledge of poll closing facts. This information leak is pointed out as a serious problem that could undermine the fairness of polls.

Data from candidate Kim Min-seok's web poster was obtained and modified into a version for candidate Jung Cheong-rae. The participant explained, "So we changed that to Jung Cheong-rae's name. And then we circulated that web poster," stating that this modified web poster was distributed to supporters to encourage its spread. This has led to allegations that Jung Cheong-rae's supporters were induced to participate in illegal polls.

Lee Jong-won initially admitted to borrowing Kim Min-seok's idea, but retracted his statement after reports of legal action being considered. The participant relayed Lee Jong-won's initial remarks, saying, "What did he say at first? 'I was just fishing you. Don't you think I'd know the date was wrong? That was my idea.'" However, he later showed an attitude of deflecting responsibility, claiming he merely adopted his supporters' ideas. This retraction of statements amplifies doubts about his credibility.

There are significant differences in the illegality of Kim Min-seok's web poster and Jung Cheong-rae's web poster. Kim Min-seok's web poster provided guidance on how to unblock carrier blocking, which is considered to have relatively low illegality. In contrast, Jung Cheong-rae's web poster, as mentioned by the participant, "does not specify which number or contact information the public opinion poll comes from. This is problematic because it lists specific phone numbers for public opinion polls," pointing to it as the starting point of illegal activity. In particular, Lee Jong-won's inducement of false responses regarding region or age is a core issue that undermines the essence of opinion polls, and analyses suggest that such actions have a high potential for illegality.

It was revealed that Rep. Choi Min-hee posted a 'Public Opinion Poll Response Guide' along with relevant phone numbers on her Facebook page. The participant stated the specific time of the post, saying, "Rep. Choi Min-hee also directly posted 'Public Opinion Poll Response Guide' with this phone number on her Facebook at 8:38 AM on August 15th." Consequently, it is being argued that Rep. Choi Min-hee might also be liable for aiding and abetting illegal polling activities.

Responsibility for individual illegal acts is attributed individually. The participant emphasized, "Just because Kim Min-seok's supporters committed the same illegal acts as him does not grant him immunity for his own illegal acts." One's criminal actions cannot be excused based on someone else's wrongdoing; legal and moral responsibility for each person's actions must be recognized separately. This is a key argument refuting Lee Jong-won's attempts to justify his actions.