The Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office is investigating allegations involving President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife’s interference in candidate nominations and illegal public opinion surveys by the Future Korea Research Institute, managed by Myung Tae-kyun. On the 15th, they conducted a search and seizure at the polling agency People Networks Research (PNR). This action was part of the investigation into suspicions that PNR manipulated survey results to favor President Yoon during the presidential primaries.
PNR conducted 50 opinion polls in which President Yoon ranked first in all but one survey ahead of the election. Kang Hye-kyung, the deputy director of the Future Korea Research Institute and the former financial officer for former National Assembly member Kim Young-sun of the People Power Party, testified that Myung conducted opinion surveys worth 375 million KRW (approximately $3.75 million) 81 times to support President Yoon during the election period. In return, Kim received a nomination for a by-election in June 2022, allegedly linked to financial exchanges.
Myung and Kim were arrested for allegedly exchanging political funds for candidacy. The prosecution is expanding its investigation to include illegal public opinion surveys and violations of the Political Funds Act. They are also examining a case filed by the civic group Judicial Justice Establishment Action (Sasaeng), initially filed with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office but transferred to Changwon.
On the 19th, Changwon’s prosecutors plan to question Kim Han-mae, the representative of Sasaeng, as the complainant in the case. Alongside Myung, the group previously accused six individuals, including President Yoon’s wife, former lawmaker Kim, and other notable political figures of illegal survey activities and interference. They also plan to expand their accusations to additional public officials based on suspicions of abuse of authority, leaking official secrets, and violations of the Public Official Election Act and the Anti-Graft Act.