Myung Tae-kyun allegedly manipulated poll results both in favor of and against then-conservative candidate Yoon Suk Yeol to create the illusion of a neck-and-neck race
With the prosecution investigating allegations that pre-election polls related to ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol were rigged, reports of new evidence suggest that the surveys were also manipulated to make it appear that Yoon had less support than his main rival and incumbent President Lee Jae Myung.
The special counsel team led by Min Joung-ki has found that Myung Tae-kyun manipulated the results of one survey conducted ahead of the 2022 presidential vote, according to a report Thursday by local broadcaster MBN News.
Unlike other alleged fabrications, this poll was skewed in favor of Lee, then the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate and eventual runner-up in the 2022 race.
Myung is suspected of fabricating poll results in multiple elections involving Yoon and other conservative figures, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. His alleged ties to the disgraced former president, his scandal-ridden wife Kim Keon Hee, and other prominent figures are under investigation.
According to the latest media report, the original results of the manipulated survey showed 492 respondents supporting Yoon and 334 favoring Lee. But Min's firm altered the data to show Lee narrowly ahead, 747 to 738.
Kang Hye-kyung, a former employee at Myung's polling agency and a key whistleblower in the case, reportedly told prosecutors that the results were changed because, “it would look weird if Yoon stood out too much.”
The prosecution believes Myung’s team frequently altered poll results to make the race appear neck-and-neck, thereby encouraging the consolidation of conservative votes behind Yoon.
A key allegation Myung faces involves the manipulation of a poll conducted on Sept. 17, 2021, related to the People Power Party's primary race. A phone recording between Kang and Myung reveals that Myung instructed her to alter the results, including reducing the approval rating of Yoon’s rival Hong Joon-pyo's TV debate performance by four percentage points.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
