Outside a detention center on the outskirts of Seoul, protesters gather daily in prayer circles. “Let a miracle happen for President Yoon,” one individual proclaims. “Lord, let the enemies see President Yoon shine so bright and be defeated,” another adds. They wave South Korean and American flags, along with banners that read “stop the steal,” convinced that hidden forces have corrupted their nation’s institutions and manipulated its parliamentary elections in both 2020 and 2024.
Supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol have been rallying since parliament voted to impeach him in December due to his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law. The protests have intensified since his arrest in mid-January and subsequent indictment on insurrection charges. It remains uncertain how many people genuinely support Yoon as opposed to his party. A recent Gallup Korea survey indicated that his party’s support stands at 38%, closely trailing the opposition Democratic Party’s 40%. Another poll by Realmeter revealed that 46% of South Koreans favor maintaining conservative rule, while 49% prefer a change in leadership. However, other surveys suggest that a majority of the populace supports impeachment.
The pro-Yoon movement is heavily influenced by evangelical Christian elements linked to Cold War-era ideologies. Prominent populist pastors, such as Jeon Kwang-hoon, encourage their followers to believe that their right to resist “supersedes the constitution.” The Korean Christian lobby is recognized for its significant influence in political matters.
Their demands extend well beyond the freedom of their leader; they are engaged in a battle against what they perceive as a vast communist conspiracy. They assert that North Korea, China, and their alleged sympathizers—including opposition parties—have infiltrated South Korea’s democratic institutions and must be eradicated. “President Yoon declared martial law to expose election fraud. It was his constitutional right,” states a female protester outside the constitutional court in Seoul, where judges are deliberating whether to uphold parliament’s impeachment vote.
Such unsubstantiated claims, once confined to the fringes of society, gained traction when Yoon cited them as justification for declaring martial law in December and conducting a raid on the country’s election commission. During Yoon’s ongoing impeachment trial, separate from the criminal investigation that led to his arrest, his lawyers referenced a report from “not a major newspaper” claiming that “90 Chinese nationals” were arrested at the election commission on the night of martial law and subsequently transferred to a U.S. military base in Japan.
Seo-young Kim, a political scientist at Seoul National University, likened the rise of allegations regarding election fraud and Chinese interference in South Korea to the deep state and “pizzagate” conspiracy theories in the United States. “The ultimate reason is the elites themselves fueling these claims by openly bringing them into the public arena,” she noted.
