Police have launched a forced investigation into suspected manipulation of public opinion polls during the Democratic Party's local government head primaries, with the possibility of organized involvement by election brokers being raised.
Four candidates, including Jinan County Mayor preliminary candidate Han Su-yong, held a press conference, pointing out that the mobile phone response rates for public opinion polls in some areas differed significantly from usual levels. They called for an audit and verification at the central party level, raising their voices to demand transparent primary elections.
Allegations of public opinion manipulation also surfaced ahead of the Namwon mayoral primary in Jeonbuk. Preliminary candidate Kim Won-jeong stated that secure phone numbers surged from 14,000 in 2025 to approximately 20,000 in February 2026. Furthermore, the response rate also sharply increased from the 13% range to 21.9%, with such unusual fluctuations intensifying the suspicions.
Due to these attempts, allegations are being raised that abnormal public opinion poll results were announced simultaneously in multiple locations, not just specific areas, in the Jeonbuk region.
Many cities and counties in depopulated areas such as North and South Jeolla Provinces have populations of only 20,000 to 30,000 people. In such areas, there is a structural vulnerability where a small sample of 500 to 1,000 people using burner phones can determine election outcomes. This creates an environment where it is difficult for preliminary candidates not to succumb to the temptations of election brokers.
The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency's Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit accelerated its investigation last month by conducting searches of the three major mobile carriers, and investigation results are expected to be announced soon.
The fact that the police obtained and executed search warrants against telecommunication companies suggests that significant suspicions have been confirmed.
Criticism has been raised that the Democratic Party's central party's mention of reconsidering the primary method only after the police investigation results are released is irresponsible. It is pointed out that when the suspicions arose, the party should have proactively conducted its own fact-finding to identify the risks and, if necessary, proceeded with the primary through different methods.
In an August 2025 survey, candidate Han Su-yong had 29.8% and candidate Jeon Chun-seong had 29.5%, showing a slight difference. However, in the September 2025 survey, candidate Jeon Chun-seong's approval rating soared to 34.1%, while candidate Han Su-yong's plummeted to 15.9%. Such drastic changes in approval ratings in public opinion polls over a short period without any special circumstances have led to strong suspicions that organizational manipulation techniques, rather than changes in local public opinion, may have been involved.
In the January 2026 public opinion poll, Mayor Jeon Chun-seong's approval rating continued to rise to 32.4%, while candidate Han Su-yong's plunged to 10.7%. This widening approval gap further intensifies suspicions that election brokers using illegally obtained secure phone numbers, known as 'tan,' created a situation where candidates who used them saw their approval ratings rise, while those who did not inevitably saw theirs plummet.
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