Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, stated, “Polls should not become playgrounds or business places for political brokers and ambitious individuals.” He made this remark at a “Forum for Institutional Improvement for Normalizing Polls” held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 31st, hosted by the Yeouido Research Institute.
Han expressed concerns that polls are no longer serving as barometers of public sentiment. He argued that there is growing suspicion among the public that polls may be distorting public opinion rather than accurately reflecting it, potentially serving as tools leading people in different directions.
He emphasized that conducting election campaigns based on poll results has become wrongly perceived as a natural technique by many and underscored the need to correct this misconception.
Han suggested that although addressing the current pressing issues might be challenging, it could also provide an opportunity to rectify the issues with polls and ensure they can properly reflect public sentiment.
He acknowledged the significant role polls have played in South Korea’s politics but insisted that this is precisely why any shortcomings or mistakes should be addressed with the help of experts.
The public trust in polls has been shaken recently due to allegations involving Myung Tae-kyun, a key figure in the “Kim Geon-hee nomination intervention scandal.” It is alleged that he manipulated unpublished poll results to favor Yoon Seok-youl during the last presidential election.
In response, Park Jung-hoon, a People Power Party lawmaker, proposed what is being called the “Myung Tae-kyun Prevention Law,” which would prevent anyone with a history of punishment under the Public Official Election Act or Political Funds Act from conducting election-related polls.
The Mirae Korea Research Institute, reportedly operated by Myung, has been fined for four cases by the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission for failing to ensure the representativeness of their samples.