Another polling company raided, fueling growing suspicions of quid pro quo

[Anchor]

It has been revealed that Myung Tae-kyun introduced local election candidates to Yoon Suk Yeol, who was a candidate in the primary at the time.

The prosecution suspects that Mr. Myung engaged in “nomination trading” in this manner to fund opinion polls.

They also conducted a search and seizure at the polling company suspected of having received this funding.

Reporter Son Won-hyuk has the details.

[Report]

The prosecution recently conducted a search and seizure at a polling company.

This is the place where allegations have surfaced of manipulating polling results during the last presidential election, in collaboration with the Future Korean Institute, whose actual owner has been identified as Myung Tae-kyun.

The prosecution suspects that these polling results may have been provided free of charge to candidate Yoon Suk Yeol at the time.

In particular, they believe that Mr. Myung covered the costs of the opinion polls through so-called “nomination trading.”

[Call between Myung Tae-kyun and Kang Hye-kyung/Feb. 2022: “If you run out of money, just tell the director and you can get it from Bae ○○, Lee ○○, or Heo ○○. I announced that I would conduct the (opinion poll).”]

Additional circumstances related to Mr. Myung‘s “nomination trading allegations” have also come to light.

On September 18, 2021, during the heated primary for the last presidential election at Gimhae Airport in Busan.

Mr. Myung introduces local election candidates to candidate Yoon.

The two people standing side by side are Mr. Bae and Mr. Lee, who appear in Mr. Myung’s recordings.

They were issued arrest warrants for allegedly giving 120 million won each to the Future Korea Institute, but the warrants were dismissed.

There is also a person suspected of having delivered 32 million won to Mr. Myung‘s side.

The other two individuals exchanging business cards are former high-ranking public officials from Gyeongsangnam-do Province who intended to run in the local elections.

[Kang Hye-kyung/Former lawmaker Kim Young-sun’s accounting manager: “(Mr. Myung) said that if he helps the president get elected, there would be no problem with the nominations.”]

At that time, Yoon Han-hong, a member of the People Power Party, who witnessed Mr. Myung‘s actions at the airport, advised candidate Yoon, saying, “Mr. Myung is a dangerous person,” and that “you should keep your distance.”

Mr. Myung denied all related allegations during the prosecution’s investigation, stating “If I had such power, why wouldn‘t he be able to give nominations?”

This is Son Won-hyuk from KBS News.