By Kang Seung-woo
Park Moo-ik, chairman of Gallup Korea, passed away at age 74, Wednesday.
According to the public pollster, Park was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a respiratory disorder, in 2004 and underwent a lung transplant last year.
“His weak kidney function in the rehabilitation process led to his death,” Gallup Korea said.
Park, born in 1943 in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, majored in philosophy at Seoul National University and joined Goldstar, the predecessor of LG Electronics, as a copywriter in 1970. Later, he also worked freelance in the ad industry.
In 1974, Park began his career in the public survey field by establishing Korea Survey Polls of which name changed to Gallup Korea in 1979 after it became an affiliate of the Gallup International Association.
After translating and publishing research pioneer George Gallup’s book “The Sophisticated Poll Watcher’s Guide” in Korea, Park decided to become a unit of the authoritative global pollster.
Park made his name in 1987 when Gallup Korea accurately forecast the result of the presidential election when former President Roh Tae-woo barely won in a hard-fought three-way competition.
In another close presidential race in 1997, Gallup Korea correctly forecast that former President Kim Dae-jung would win. It even projected almost correctly how many votes he and his competitors would get.
“I have seen those who studied overseas say that survey sampling skills in the United States, Japan and Europe are ahead of that of Korea. I wanted to break the stereotype,” Park said in a media interview at the time.
Park, dubbed the pioneer of Korea’s public opinion polls, also worked hard to improve the industry and academic circles.
He contributed to founding the Korea Research Association in August 1992, while establishing awards given to those who work in the sector.
Thanks to his commitment, Park received the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 2013.