South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld a two-year suspended prison sentence for the head of a survey firm linked to a controversial 2022 poll probing rumors of politician Lee Jae-myung’s alleged ties to gangsters.
Survey Origins and Controversy
During Lee Jae-myung’s 2022 presidential campaign, his team hired a survey company led by Lawyer Jang Ye-hyung to conduct a ‘job linkage research’ project. The poll targeted executives at 20 major conglomerates, directly questioning awareness of rumors connecting Lee to organized crime figures. The firm received approximately 20 million won for the work.
Citizen complaints prompted a review by the Fair Trade Commission. Officials closed the case after determining the survey qualified as a legitimate private opinion poll.
Prosecution and Appeals
Seoul Central District Prosecutors initially declined to indict, agreeing the poll reflected genuine private views. The Democratic Party contested this non-indictment, filing a successful appeal that led to formal charges against Jang in May 2023 for violating the Public Official Election Act by disseminating false information.
Trial Testimonies and Verdict
In the first trial, the court acquitted Jang, ruling that “the facts published by Lawyer Jang were sincerely believed to be true.” A witness expressed regret over the global announcement of the poll results.
Witness Hang So-sim testified that Jang’s four-month effort failed to forge ties with chaebol executives despite targeting 20 conglomerates. She stated, “Such behavior undermines the public’s rational judgment and distorts the truth.”
On December 12, the Supreme Court’s Third Division, presided by Justice Lee Sook-yeon, reviewed the appellate ruling and found no errors. It finalized the sentence: one year in prison, suspended for two years.
