YouTube election fraud conspiracy theories fuel impeached South Korean president and his supporters
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Thousands have braved the frigid January weather in Seoul protests, waving South Korean and American flags and shouting vows to protect their embattled conservative hero, the impeached South Korean president facing imprisonment over potential rebellion charges.
The swelling crowds in South Korea’s capital are inspired by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s defiance, but also by the growing power of right-wing YouTubers who portray Yoon as a victim of a leftist, North Korea-sympathizing opposition that has rigged elections to gain a legislative majority and is now plotting to remove a patriotic leader.
“Out with fraudulent elections and a fake National Assembly!” read one sign, brandished by an angry man in a fur hat during a recent protest near Yoon’s presidential residence, the site of a massive law enforcement operation Wednesday that made Yoon the country’s first sitting president to be detained in a criminal investigation.
Many at the pro-Yoon rallies, which are separated by police from anti-Yoon counter-protests, are significantly influenced by fictional narratives about election fraud that dominate conservative YouTube channels — claims that Yoon has repeatedly referenced in his attacks on election officials.
A placard hanging from an overpass read: “Martial law was declared to investigate election fraud; lawmakers impeached (Yoon) to stop it.” There were also “Stop the Steal” signs, a slogan associated with the U.S. Capitol attack by a mob of Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, who were angry over false claims that Joe Biden had stolen the election.
There have long been worries about Yoon’s close ties with right-wing YouTube personalities, some of whom were invited to his inauguration ceremony.