Ulsan Mayoral Candidates' Merger Stalls Over Poll Dispute

A planned merger between the Democratic Party's Kim Sang-wook and the Progressive Party's Kim Jong-hoon for the Ulsan mayoral race has hit a snag, with both candidates trading accusations over opinion poll irregularities. The joint poll, intended to select a single candidate, has been suspended, delaying the announcement of the results.

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I did not know that the 'reverse selection prevention clause' was omitted from the opinion poll.

Kim Sang-wook took to Facebook to express his dismay, stating he was unaware the "reverse selection prevention clause" was omitted from the opinion poll questions. He asserted that his sole condition for the merger was that the unification process accurately reflect the will of the citizens. Kim claimed he was told the omission was due to strong demands from the Progressive Party, a move he finds inexplicable.

"I acknowledge my mistake in not directly verifying the poll questions, but I trusted that the Progressive Party would uphold the principles we agreed upon from the start," Kim wrote, adding he would wait for a final opportunity to unite their efforts.

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I made it my sole condition and principle for this merger that it should be carried out in a way that does not distort the will of the democratic citizens.

In response, Kim Jong-hoon appeared on MBC radio, suggesting that Kim Sang-wook is attempting to halt the poll because it appears unfavorable to him. "We agreed to proceed without any objections to reverse selection, but it's suspicious that the poll was halted mid-process after checking the results," Kim stated. He indicated plans to seek legal action to preserve evidence and verify the poll's integrity.

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It is suspicious that the poll was halted mid-process after checking the results, when we agreed to proceed without any objections to reverse selection.

Kim Jong-hoon added that the polling agency confirmed that over 70% completion rate makes the poll valid. He proposed proceeding with the poll as agreed, but warned that if an agreement isn't reached by the end of the day, the merger would likely be impossible.

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The polling agency confirmed that over 70% completion rate makes the poll valid. We should just reveal it and proceed as agreed.