Day by day for the previous week, Kim Kwon-seop, 72, has joined hundreds of others gathered close to the house of South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol. They had been decided to defend Mr. Yoon from prosecutors who needed to detain him on riot fees stemming from his short-lived declaration of martial regulation final month.
To them, it was the opposition who had dedicated riot, abusing its majority energy on the Meeting to repeatedly block Mr. Yoon’s political initiatives. To them, the opposition’s parliamentary majority was invalid as a result of the election final April was rigged. And to them, defending Mr. Yoon was synonymous with defending South Korea from “North Korea followers” who’ve taken root in each nook of their society, from the judiciary to varsities to the information media.
South Koreans generally dismiss such conspiracy theories as little greater than on-line demagoguery unfold by right-wing YouTubers with the assistance of social media algorithms. However amid the nation’s entrenched political polarization, they’ve fueled the turmoil over Mr. Yoon’s scenario, driving zealous believers like Mr. Kim to take to the streets in massive numbers, calling for the president’s return to workplace.
“After I depart dwelling for this rally each day, I inform my spouse that this can be the final time she sees me alive, as a result of I’m able to die for my trigger,” Mr. Kim stated. “This isn’t nearly defending President Yoon. It’s about saving my nation for my descendants.”
If President-elect Donald J. Trump has a “Make America Nice Once more” motion behind him, Mr. Yoon has the “taegeukgi budae” (actually, “national-flag brigade”). It consists of largely older, churchgoing South Koreans who enliven their rallies with patriotic songs, a wave of South Korean and American flags in help of their nation’s alliance with Washington, and vitriolic assaults on the nation’s left-wing politicians, whom they concern would hand their nation over to China and North Korea.
“We gained!” flag-waving supporters of Mr. Yoon shouted on Friday when investigators retreated from the presidential residence after failing to serve a courtroom warrant to detain him for questioning.
“Yoon Suk Yeol is relying on the South Korean model of MAGA to carry onto energy,” stated Ahn Byong-jin, a professor of political science at Kyung Hee College in Seoul.
Mr. Yoon invoked the right-wing concern and indignation when he declared martial regulation on Dec. 3 to “remove the despicable pro-North Korean and anti-state forces at one stroke.” However his try to position his nation beneath navy rule for the primary time in 45 years lasted solely hours. The opposition-dominant Nationwide Meeting voted to rescind it and later impeached him.
Suspended from workplace, Mr. Yoon now faces a trial on the Constitutional Court docket, which can determine whether or not to formally take away him. He’s additionally topic to separate investigations from prosecutors, who’ve accused him of committing riot when he ordered troops to grab the Meeting and to detain his political enemies throughout his martial regulation.
With public surveys displaying a majority of South Koreans wanting him ousted, Mr. Yoon’s strongest defenders are his flag-waving supporters and the right-wing YouTubers, who glorify him as a champion of selling the alliance with Washington. These YouTubers, some with round one million subscribers, demand Mr. Yoon’s reinstatement and livestream pro-Yoon rallies, the place audio system name the efforts to take away him a “coup d’état” at North Korea’s behest. They additionally reinforce political polarization by channeling conspiracy theories towards Mr. Yoon’s progressive enemies.
Proper-wing YouTubers have lengthy boasted of their friendship with Mr. Yoon, after dozens of them had been invited to his inauguration in 2022. Within the wake of his botched martial regulation, Mr. Yoon left little doubt that he was an enormous fan.
“I’m watching your wrestle in actual time by way of YouTube livestreaming,” Mr. Yoon stated in a message to his supporters gathered outdoors his dwelling on New 12 months’s Day. “Our nation is at risk due to anti-state forces operating amok, in addition to forces in and out of doors who violate our sovereignty.”
Throughout a rally on Wednesday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer who serves as Mr. Yoon’s spokesman, thanked right-wing YouTubers there and referred to as the investigators making an attempt to detain Mr. Yoon “a entrance” for the opposition.
“That is battle,” he stated. “And you’re warriors.”
Like different democracies, South Korea has grappled with the function of social media in shaping politics. About 53 p.c of South Koreans say they devour information on YouTube, larger than a mean of 30 p.c in 46 international locations surveyed, in response to a 2023 report by Korea Press Basis.
Analysts fear that algorithm-fueled info bubbles, with individuals frequently served extra of the kind of content material they’ve expressed curiosity in by watching, are serving to divide the nation. The language and conspiracy theories Mr. Yoon and his supporters adopted mirror these purveyed by right-wing YouTubers, stated Hong Sung-guk, a former lawmaker and columnist.
“Yoon’s is probably going the world’s first riot instigated by algorithm addictions,” Mr. Hong stated.
A dozen individuals in a latest pro-Yoon rally interviewed for this text had been all agency believers within the conspiracy theories, saying that right-wing YouTubers had been their major or solely supply of reports.
“They converse the reality,” stated Kim Jae-seung, 72. “I not learn newspapers or activate TV. They’re stuffed with bias.”
Kim Yong-son, 70, pulled out his battered smartphone to point out a video clip that depicted the progressive leaders as hellbent on undermining South Korea’s alliance with the USA and colluding with North Korea and China — viral content material created by the favored right-wing pastor, the Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon.
In 1980, Chun Doo-hwan, the chief of the navy junta that dominated the nation on the time, justified imposing martial regulation by citing the threats from “North Korean puppets” and “harmful parts” at dwelling.
As his personal political troubles deepened within the wake of scandals and catastrophe, Mr. Yoon aligned himself extra brazenly with the radicalized political proper. He accused unfriendly journalists of spreading “faux information” and referred to as his political enemies subscribers to “Communist totalitarianism.” He even appointed a right-wing YouTuber as head of the middle for coaching authorities officers.
Lengthy earlier than Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial regulation, a few of the right-wing YouTubers had urged him to take such an motion to cope with his home enemies. In addition they unfold sinophobia, hinting that China was a secret manipulator of home politics in South Korea, together with its elections. Rallies of his supporters usually ring with requires “expelling Chinese language.” Mr. Yoon raised fears of Chineses spies whereas defending his martial regulation.
Mr. Yoon and right-wing YouTubers additionally argue that election leads to South Korea are not reliable. Professional-Yoon supporters usually carry indicators saying “Cease the Steal,” borrowing a time period made in style by individuals in the USA who falsely claimed that the poll depend for the 2020 presidential election was manipulated towards Mr. Trump. One in every of them, Shin Eun-ju, 52, stated she believed the vote fraud idea, citing “YouTube” as her supply.
The police and prosecutors, in addition to the election authorities, have lengthy dismissed the allegation as groundless. However when Mr. Yoon declared martial regulation, he additionally despatched troops to the Nationwide Election Fee to analyze allegations of vote fraud. Navy officers concerned in his martial regulation decree had directions, prosecutors stated, to confiscate the fee’s laptop servers and detain senior election screens, tying, blindfolding and taking them to an underground navy bunker for questioning about election fraud. (Martial regulation ended earlier than any computer systems had been seized or individuals taken away.)
Mr. Yoon and his attorneys haven’t commented on particular allegations, and so they have broadly denied allegations of riot, calling his acts the legit train of presidential energy.
“It’s clear that the president misplaced his thoughts to outlandish vote-fraud conspiracy theories whereas watching low-quality YouTube channels,” stated Cho Gab-je, a distinguished conservative journalist.
Mr. Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, stated the allegations of rigged elections had been sturdy and divisive sufficient to benefit an investigation.
Google Korea stated it manages YouTube contents in response to its neighborhood tips.
Mockingly, it was additionally YouTube that helped information of Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial regulation go viral on the evening of Dec. 3, prompting residents to hurry to the Nationwide Meeting to delay the advance of troops and purchase time for opposition lawmakers to vote down the martial regulation.
“It was a conflict between the totally different roles of algorithms,” Mr. Hong stated. “Algorithms assist info go viral, but additionally assist make you a slave to it.”
