Police have launched a compulsory investigation into a YouTuber suspected of urging viewers to give false answers about their age and other details during a public opinion poll conducted for the Democratic Party's leadership convention.
The Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Bureau sent investigators on the 20th to execute search and seizure warrants at the Deogyang-gu office in Goyang and the Ilsan residence of Lee Jong-won, who operates the YouTube channel Sisa Tapa TV, police said. The warrants cited allegations of obstruction of business.
Lee is accused of urging viewers during a live YouTube broadcast on Aug. 14 and 15, while the Democratic Party's public opinion poll was under way, to misstate their place of residence and age when contacted by pollsters.
The poll allocated its sample in proportion to the population by region, gender and age group. Under that structure, once the quota for a particular age group or region was filled, no further respondents meeting those conditions could take part. The results accounted for 30% of the outcome in the races for party leader and supreme council members.
Lee's side has argued that it is unfair for police to conduct search and seizure only in the case brought against Lee by the Democratic Party and others, while declining to pursue a compulsory investigation into Lee's own complaint against Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok, according to accounts of the statement.
Lee filed a criminal complaint last month with the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Bureau against Kim Min-seok, alleging violations of the Personal Information Protection Act and defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. Lee said Kim had disclosed his name and party membership status while ordering an emergency inspection.