“50s Turned into 20s in Opinion Poll”... Police Investigate YouTuber Over Democratic Party Convention

[Financial News] Police have launched an investigation into the operator of the YouTube channel “Sisa Tapa TV,” who is suspected of inducing viewers to give false responses during the Democratic Party of Korea’s public opinion poll for its national party convention.
Police said on the 3rd that the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit recently began investigating a case assigned to it involving Lee on suspicion of obstruction of business through deceptive means.
Lee is suspected of urging viewers during live YouTube broadcasts on the 14th and 15th of last month, while the Democratic Party of Korea’s public opinion poll for its national party convention was underway, to respond with a region or age different from their actual one.
At the time, the public opinion poll allocated quotas by region, gender and age. Once the quota for a particular category was filled, people belonging to that category could no longer participate in the survey.
During a broadcast on the 14th of last month, a viewer said, “The quota for people in their 50s in North Gyeongsang Province is full.” Lee reportedly responded, “When you receive the opinion poll call, you have to say you’re in your 20s or 30s.”
The Democratic Party of Korea filed a police complaint against Lee last month, saying that such conduct obstructed the work of the Democratic Party of Korea’s Central Election Management Committee and the polling agency. Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also said on the 30th of last month that he had confirmed Lee was a party member and ordered the party’s Ethics Inspection Team to launch an urgent investigation.
Lee denied the allegations on his broadcast, explaining that his actions were intended to “encourage people to actively participate in the opinion poll.”
Police plan to review the complaint and related broadcast footage to establish the specific facts of the case.
[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter