Kim Sang-uk, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate running for Ulsan mayor, will halt the unification process with Kim Jong-hun, The Progressive Party candidate. The campaign said an irregular pattern was found during the primary polling and that there are signs of organized intervention by some groups. The Progressive Party urged the campaign to honor the agreement, saying it had not received any notice from the polling institute.
Kim Du-kwan, chief of staff for Kim Sang-uk's election committee, said in a statement on the 24th, "We were informed this morning that the polling institute for the unification-related survey found anomalies and halted the polling," adding, "The poll is showing a highly irregular pattern, and there are indications suggesting organized intervention by some groups."
He added, "An anti-democratic situation could arise in which Ulsan citizens' right to choose is infringed upon by the machinations of a particular group," and said, "We offer our deep apologies for the confusion felt by comrades in the Democratic Party and The Progressive Party and by citizens, and we will quickly identify the exact circumstances and causes."
Kim Sang-uk of the Democratic Party and Kim Jong-hun of The Progressive Party have been conducting a poll since on the 23rd to unify their candidacies for Ulsan mayor. The two parties agreed on unification on the 15th, and the primary result was expected to come out that night.
Kim Jong-hun's camp immediately pushed back against Kim Sang-uk's camp raising the issue. Bang Seok-su, head of Kim Jong-hun's election committee, said, "The unilateral declaration to halt the unification primary poll for the Ulsan mayoral race violates the spirit of the unification agreement and is unacceptable," adding, "They say they suspect intervention by a particular group, but we have not been notified of any confirmed basis detailing what, specifically, that is."