A group of progressive civic groups stirred the political pot on Thursday by vowing an anti-campaign against the “worst” candidates running in next week’s April 13 parliamentary election.

While progressive voters praised the move, calling it justified political expression, the nation’s election watchdog suggested that it may constitute an illegitimate public survey ahead of the election.

The Citizen Network for General Elections 2016 announced on Wednesday a list of the 10 worst candidates, mostly consisting of ranking figures of the ruling conservative Saenuri Party. The survey was conducted earlier this week on the organization’s official website.

The top dishonor was given to Kim Seok-ki, a former commissioner general of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency who had resigned from his post in 2009, after directing a violent suppression that led to 29 casualties, including the deaths of six.

Kim, who later took on the post of president of the state-run Korea Airports Corporation, is running in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where the Saenuri Party is enjoying steady support.

The list included ranking Saenuri Party figures such as party chief Kim Moo-sung, former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, former Deputy Prime Minister Hwang Woo-yea and former Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan.

Na Kyung-won and Yoon Sang-hyun were also listed, with the former being included due to recent allegations of influence-peddling over her daughter’s college admission and the latter for making abusive remarks against party chief Kim over candidate nominations.

The civic group started its anti-campaign on Wednesday against Oh, a candidate in Jongno.

“Oh’s administration was a typical case of budget wasting and antienvironmental show-off business,” the group said at a press conference in front of Oh’s election camp headquarters.

“Not only did he stand against policies that are crucial to the economically needy, but he also abused the free school meal issue for his own political needs.”

The former mayor stepped down in 2011, after a referendum on free school meals had floundered.

The National Election Commission is currently studying whether the list and the anti-campaign constitute a breach of the public official election act clause, which forbids the announcement of unauthorized public polls ahead of the election.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)