In Seoul, in front of Yoon Suk-yeol’s residence, his supporters protect the “South Korean Trump”

“You will defend the president to the death!” Let’s not let ourselves be fooled by these communist traitors! », shouts a young thirty-year-old on the stage to the crowd. Despite temperatures of around -10°C on January 9, supporters of deposed South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol gathered in front of his residence transformed into a fortress. South Korean and American flags in the hands, a rallying sign for the South Korean far right, a crowd of around 200 determined and radicalized people gather there every day. After his dismissal voted by the deputies on Last December 14, President Yoon Suk-yeol refused to surrender to the authorities. His home in Seoul has transformed in recent days into a veritable bunker in which he is holed up, protected by the special forces of his presidential guard. In the speeches and discussions of the demonstrators, the conspiracy theories that fuel their anger emerge. According to them, the opposition to President Yoon is in fact just a band of spies sent by China and North Korea to destroy the country from within. A thesis that President Yoon Suk-yeol himself had defended to justify his decision to establish martial law on December 3. A conservative minority supports Yoon If the vast majority of South Korean opinion is opposed to the president, a small segment of the population, the oldest and most conservative, remains faithful to him. Kim In-won, 84, believes in it wholeheartedly. “Everything that is happening is a scheme by the opposition, in the hands of the North Korean communists to destroy our country,” she insists. A devotion that the Head of State reciprocates. In a letter addressed to them, he thanks his supporters and promises to continue fighting. This electoral base, increasingly violent in its speeches, rejects the traditional media. Like Kim Jae-hee, 77 years old: “When I watch TV, it annoys me. So, I watch politics videos on YouTube. They seem more honest to me, they are true patriotic citizens who defend the president. » Rampant disinformation In South Korea, 97% of residents say they get their information on the American video platform. “Political podcasts accumulate millions of views every day and are one of the main channels of disinformation,” explains Jun Minjung, a researcher specializing in fake news. A phenomenon that affects all age groups. Park Cheong-yeon is 20 years old and he too no longer trusts the media. “They are all leftists, I don’t believe them. I prefer to do my own research and that’s what I advise everyone. » On the platform in front of the presidential residence, a speaker even calls for the journalists of the Chosun Ilbo, the most conservative daily in the country, to be pushed back. Influence of “Trumpism” Beyond the media, it is the entire “system” which is singled out by the supporters of the head of state. The crowd in front of the podium holds “stop the steal” signs, a slogan borrowed from Donald Trump when he accused the Democrats of having rigged the 2020 US presidential election. Here, the South Koreans reject both the impeachment vote and the results of the 2024 legislative elections, won by the opposition. The influence of “Trumpism” is felt in the Korean far right. “Yes, Trump is a model, he never stopped fighting, he defends the values ​​of America, Yoon Suk-yeol is a little our own Trump,” comments Kim In-won. If President Yoon is targeted today by a second arrest warrant, his supporters are not demoralized. “We have hope,” smiles Han Yeon-chang, 78 years old. Look at the United States, they tried to eliminate Trump but he came back, we too will come back. »



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