The Daegu Metropolitan City branch of the Democratic Party called on Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo to disclose the name of the polling agency that allegedly offered to manipulate poll results for 300 million won, as revealed on his Facebook.
On the 3rd, the Daegu branch of the Democratic Party issued a statement saying, "We fully agree with the content of Mayor Hong Joonpyo's Facebook post. The proliferation of polling agencies and the release of polls with extremely low response rates that mislead public opinion are, in fact, a major threat to a democratic society. Furthermore, the agency mentioned in Mayor Hong's post, which offered to inflate poll numbers for 300 million won, must be identified. Think about it. Should such an agency be allowed to continue releasing polls and conducting business? We hope this will spark a public discussion about the problems with polling agencies."
The Daegu branch of the Democratic Party continued, "As the mayor himself wrote, we also hope this is an opportunity to correct how Daegu city government cites poll results. When referring to polls conducted by media outlets and polling agencies regarding the Park Chunghee statue issue, claims that many Daegu citizens support it should not be made. That is a 'contradiction in terms.'"
The Daegu branch of the Democratic Party added, "Mayor Hong must clarify this issue. He must reveal which agency attempted to manipulate public opinion in exchange for money. If we compare this situation to the economy, it is an act of 'market disruption.' This cannot be dismissed as mere vague words," once again urging the disclosure of the polling agency.
On June 2, Mayor Hong Joonpyo posted on Facebook, "Poll results can be manipulated as much as you want. I am reminded of a polling agency that, during the July 2011 party convention, offered to increase my numbers by 10% for 300 million won."
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