Democratic Party in Turmoil... Controversy Arises Over Polling Firm Selection

Controversy Over Candidate Nomination Followed by Questions on Primary Election Fairness
Allegations of Involvement in Appointment of Chief Secretary Kim Byung-gi
"Not Only Majority but Even 120 Seats at Risk"

It looks like a beehive has been disturbed. Following the nomination controversy, the selection process of the primary survey company has also become a subject of dispute, intensifying conflicts within the Democratic Party of Korea.

On the 23rd, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the party headquarters during the Supreme Council meeting, "Although we cannot fully understand the feelings of those who did not become the final candidates, we will try to accept and understand their regret, resentment, and pain as much as possible." This shows a more humble stance compared to his remarks the previous day when he told reporters regarding the nomination process, "Someone inevitably comes in first, and someone comes in last."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held on the 23rd at the Central Party Office in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

However, the controversy is spreading. The Democratic Party is conducting the primary through a public opinion poll reflecting 50% of party members with voting rights and 50% of the general public via an automated response system (ARS). Following the controversy over strategic nominations and related opinion polls, questions have arisen about the suspicious process of selecting a single company. Initially, the Democratic Party selected three companies for the primary opinion poll, but there are allegations that Kim Byung-gi, the party’s senior deputy secretary-general and close to Lee Jae-myung, ordered the selection of an additional survey company.

Regarding this, the Democratic Party stated, "Senior Deputy Secretary-General Kim expressed the opinion that excluding a company that ranked high in the selection presentation without proper reasons could lead to unfairness controversies," and "The Election Commission signed contracts with four companies considering the survey work for the primary." They denied any improper intervention by Kim.

However, various interpretations have emerged after Jung Pil-mo, chairman of the Democratic Party’s Central Election Commission, suddenly announced his resignation on the 21st citing health reasons, just before the first primary results were announced. There is speculation that issues related to the selection process of the survey company may have been a factor behind his resignation.

On the same day, Jeon Hae-cheol, a Democratic Party lawmaker, pointed out on SBS Radio, "There have been lawmaker evaluations from the 19th to the 21st National Assembly, but never before have lawmakers publicly raised issues like this." He criticized the mysterious opinion polls and the evaluations of incumbent lawmakers without presenting evidence. Regarding the selection of the survey institution, Jeon said, "Questions have also been raised about how the institution conducting the opinion poll was selected and the official procedures and circumstances under which it was chosen by the party." He added, "I understand that the Election Commission chairman also raised these issues confidently." He emphasized, "The results of the opinion polls should be disclosed in detail, and those responsible should be held accountable."

As the series of controversies grows, there are claims that the Democratic Party may not only fail to secure a majority but also lose its position as the largest party in the National Assembly. Political analyst Choi Byung-chun, former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute and currently at the New Growth Economy Research Institute, analyzed, "Based on current standards, it is precarious for the Democratic Party to secure 120 seats," adding, "The goal of 130 seats has already collapsed." Earlier, Lee Jae-myung had set the party’s goal for this year’s general election as securing a majority of seats.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.