Realmeter Charged with Public Opinion Manipulation…Fraud, Obstruction, Election Law Violation

2020-3-11, NewDaily [Translation]

Young Law Professionals of the Future (미래를여는청년변호사모임) or MiraeCheongByeon (미래청변 for short) gathered on March 11, 2020 and filed a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office charging Realmeter polling company of fraud (사기), obstruction of operations (업무방해), and violation of public election law (공직선거법위반).

In a press release on March 1, the Young Law Professionals of the Future stated, “The public opinion survey company should conduct polls using objective, fair, and reliable polling methods.  The manipulators of public opinion polls at the polling company Realmeter interfered with the proper operation of the public opinion polling company numerous times by undermining the unbiasedness of the sample, such as over-representing supporters for President Moon Jae-in.”  The group criticized, stating, “Currently, the Republic of Korea faces a grave national crisis, and the citizens must work together to overcome the crisis, but there’s a group that is distorting public opinion, making it difficult to bring people together.”

“Realmeter, suspected of fraud, disruption of business operations, and violation of public election law”

Young Law Professionals of the Future asserted that the manipulator of public opinion was expected to poll public opinion objectively and reliably, and was paid for such work. [The poll manipulations] fall under the criminal law Article 314 (Interfere in operations) and Article 347 (fraud).  Furthermore, Realmeter published public opinion polls in a way that distorted the representativeness of the sample, which violated Article 108 (5) of the Public Official Election Act.

Park Joo-hyeon (박주현), the leader of Young Law Professionals of the Future, said, “

“The opinion poll is a barometer that assesses the public sentiment, and it is a serious crime to manipulate public opinion using opinion polls…these acts violate the most important legal interests of our society, beyond the infringement of personal legal interests.”

Park said, “In particular, the Moon Jae-in government has been using the results of public opinion polls as the driving force for its administering of the state affairs. If the driving force is distorted, then the state administration is distorted.”

The Young Law Professionals decided to analyze the published polling data and the methods of public opinion polling organizations, such as Realmeter, and plans to take additional measures.

Source:  http://www.newdaily.co.kr/site/data/html/2020/03/11/2020031100188.html