Yoo Gi-sang, Preliminary Candidate for Gochang County Governor, Demands Immediate Halt to Unfair Opinion Polls

Published 13 May.2022 16:12(KST)

[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] Yoo Gi-sang, a preliminary candidate for Gochang County Governor, recently expressed deep regret, stating that the recent public opinion poll for the Gochang County Governor election was a poll where "opportunities were unequal," "the process was unfair," and "the results were not just."

On the 13th, preliminary candidate Yoo Gi-sang said, "In the past, there were frequent illegal acts such as distortion of public opinion polls through the installation of hundreds of landline phones or call forwarding to mobile phones, manipulating public opinion and failing to reflect the true public sentiment."

He continued, "Recently, during the Democratic Party primary process, there are serious concerns about manipulation of public opinion through election broker involvement, illegal 'mobile phone bill address changes,' 'mass mobile phone activations,' and 'collecting elderly people's mobile phones for proxy voting.' Many local media have pointed this out, and it is regrettable that investigations such as raids by the police and the election commission are underway," he added.

He also stated, "A few days before the public opinion poll conducted on the 8th, supporters of the opposing side promoted responses to the poll on SNS," and "The day before, they shared among themselves the message 'The public opinion poll will be conducted tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.'"

Furthermore, "A staff member at our office recognized the unfair situation of the public opinion poll and that night informed acquaintances on SNS, saying 'Are they really conducting a secret poll?' and only then did a reporter from the relevant media suddenly contact us," he claimed.

He then emphasized, "They should apologize for conducting such acts repeatedly and stop mocking the residents. Fair and trustworthy election polls must be conducted within a range that everyone can understand."

He added, "Only when conducted this way can voters be helped in choosing candidates. Conversely, flawed election polls distort the election process and mislead voters' judgment," and explained, "I hope that the upcoming June 1 Gochang County Governor election will be conducted in a manner where 'opportunities are equal, the process is fair, and the results are just.'"

Finally, he said, "Instead of slandering opponents, candidates should properly inform voters about their character and policies through debates without cheating or irregularities."

Meanwhile, in the previous 7th local election public opinion poll for Gochang County Governor, preliminary candidate Yoo Gi-sang trailed by a margin of 25% to 35%, but the final vote count showed him winning by 3%, earning the honor of election.