Lee Jun-seok on Allegations of Paying Polling Fees: "I Have Never Communicated About It"

"At Least Specify What Poll It Was"
"No Records of Calls or Texts at All"
"Why Persistently Cling to Someone You Don't Even Know?"

Lee Jun-seok, Member of the Reform New Party. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Businessman Kim Han-jung, known as a supporter of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, claimed that he "paid the polling costs on behalf of Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party." In response, Lee denied the allegation, stating it was not true.

On the 26th, Lee posted on his social media (SNS), "SBS claims that a person named Kim Han-jung paid my polling costs, but I would like to know exactly which poll they are talking about." He added, "The party convention poll was a published survey commissioned by Money Today. In fact, I was not even a candidate in that poll when it started, so what poll are they referring to?"

Lee continued, "I have no records of phone calls or text messages communicating with this person. The only KakaoTalk messages I received were a request to join some conservative group chat and an unexpected FaceTalk (video call) which I did not answer," attaching screenshots of the KakaoTalk chat with Kim. In the photos, Kim sent Lee an open chat link in December 2021, saying, "The Republic of Korea is a liberal democratic country. Please join the number one supporter room protecting liberal democracy." In April 2022, Kim made a FaceTalk video call, but it was missed. Lee expressed discomfort, saying, "I wonder why someone known as Mayor Oh’s supporter is persistently clinging to a day they don’t even know."

Earlier that day, SBS reported that Kim claimed to have paid not only 33 million won for Mayor Oh’s polling costs but also for the People Power Party leadership race poll costs for Lee and the presidential primary poll costs for President Yoon Suk-yeol. After a prosecution raid, Kim told reporters, "Myung Tae-gyun asked me to help with the polls for President Yoon and Lee, so I covered the costs." He added, "Including Mayor Oh’s polling costs, the amount reaches tens of millions of won." He also said, "I only helped Myung by covering polling costs for ruling party politicians like Mayor Oh," and "It was for reporting to former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in."