People Power Party Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun has been accused of seeking help from political broker Myung Tae-kyun during the April 7, 2021, Busan mayoral by-election. The claim was revealed by Kang Hye-kyung, who was the deputy director of the polling company Future Korea Institute operated by Myung and the former accounting officer for People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun. Mayor Park stated, "It is 100% a lie," and said he would take both civil and criminal legal action against Kang.
Park's side issued a statement on the 11th, saying, "What Kang Hye-kyung mentioned in her radio interview is all false," and added, "I have never met Myung, nor have I ever had even a single phone call with him." He also stated, "I first learned about the existence of Myung only through media reports after the 'Myung Tae-kyun incident' occurred."
Myung has been indicted under detention on suspicion of interfering in elections through illegal and false opinion polls during the last local elections, the 2022 by-elections, and the 22nd general elections. The ousted former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his spouse, as well as the People Power Party's presidential candidates Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, along with several current members of the National Assembly affiliated with the People Power Party, are also implicated in the allegations.
On the other hand, Park's side asserted, "I swear I have never met Myung during the 2021 by-elections or the 2022 local election process, nor have I ever commissioned a public opinion poll or inquired about election strategies, and of course, I have never handed over any expenses for opinion polls either."
In particular, regarding Kang's claim that seven undisclosed polls were commissioned, Park's side characterized it as "100% fabricated lies and a political conspiracy to undermine Park." They plan to respond to Kang's interview with legal action in both civil and criminal cases next week.