Every single day for the previous week, Kim Kwon-seop, 72, has joined 1000’s of others gathered close to the house of South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol. They had been decided to protect Mr. Yoon from prosecutors who wished to detain him on rebellion expenses stemming from his short-lived declaration of martial regulation final month.
To them, it was the opposition who had dedicated rebellion, 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 colleges 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 state of affairs, driving zealous believers like Mr. Kim to take to the streets in massive numbers, calling for the president’s return to workplace.
“After I go away residence for this rally daily, 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 mentioned. “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 principally older, churchgoing South Koreans who enliven their rallies with patriotic songs, a wave of South Korean and American flags in assist of their nation’s alliance with Washington, and vitriolic assaults on the nation’s left-wing politicians, whom they worry would hand their nation over to China and North Korea.
“We received!” 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,” mentioned Ahn Byong-jin, a professor of political science at Kyung Hee College in Seoul.
Mr. Yoon invoked the right-wing worry and indignation when he declared martial regulation on Dec. 3 to “get rid of the despicable pro-North Korean and anti-state forces at one stroke.” However his try to position his nation beneath army 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 is able to resolve whether or not to formally take away him. He’s additionally topic to separate investigations from prosecutors, who’ve accused him of committing rebellion when he ordered troops to grab the Meeting and to detain his political enemies throughout his martial regulation.
With public surveys exhibiting 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 battle in actual time by way of YouTube livestreaming,” Mr. Yoon mentioned in a message to his supporters gathered outdoors his residence on New Yr’s Day. “Our nation is in peril 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 attempting to detain Mr. Yoon “a entrance” for the opposition.
“That is conflict,” he mentioned. “And you might be warriors.”
Like different democracies, South Korea has grappled with the function of social media in shaping politics. About 53 % of South Koreans say they eat information on YouTube, greater than a median of 30 % 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, mentioned Hong Sung-guk, a former lawmaker and columnist.
“Yoon’s is probably going the world’s first rebellion instigated by algorithm addictions,” Mr. Hong mentioned.
A dozen members 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 main or solely supply of reports.
“They communicate the reality,” mentioned 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 indicate 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 army junta that dominated the nation on the time, justified imposing martial regulation by citing the threats from “North Korean puppets” and “harmful parts” at residence.
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 number of the right-wing YouTubers had urged him to take such an motion to cope with his home enemies. Additionally they unfold sinophobia, hinting that China was a secret manipulator of home politics in South Korea, together with its elections. Rallies of his supporters typically 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 typically carry indicators saying “Cease the Steal,” borrowing a time period made common by individuals in the USA who falsely claimed that the poll rely for the 2020 presidential election was manipulated towards Mr. Trump. Considered one of them, Shin Eun-ju, 52, mentioned she believed the vote fraud concept, 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 research allegations of vote fraud. Navy officers concerned in his martial regulation decree had directions, prosecutors mentioned, to confiscate the fee’s pc servers and detain senior election displays, tying, blindfolding and taking them to an underground army 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, they usually have broadly denied allegations of rebellion, calling his acts the official 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,” mentioned Cho Gab-je, a outstanding conservative journalist.
Mr. Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, mentioned the allegations of rigged elections had been robust and divisive sufficient to advantage an investigation.
Google Korea mentioned it manages YouTube contents in response to its group pointers.
Mockingly, it was additionally YouTube that helped information of Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial regulation go viral on the night time 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 completely different roles of algorithms,” Mr. Hong mentioned. “Algorithms assist info go viral, but in addition assist make you a slave to it.”