Page 16 - Interview Book(KOR)-2025-01
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Obviously, the first test case concerning the allegation of large-scale election fraud
               was not properly handled by the public sector in Korea. It seems that more than half
               of Koreans lost trust in public election management system in Korea. It is no wonder
               that starting with the 21st General Election on April 15, 2020, the 20th Presidential
               Election on March 9, 2022, the National Simultaneous Local Elections on June 1,
               2022, the Gangseo district mayor's By-election on October 11, 2023, and the 22nd
               General Election on April 10, 2024, allegations of large-scale fraud have been steadily
               raised in various elections. Democracy in Korea is now in peril. One needs to analyze
               this situation in a broader and historical perspective.


               II. Analysis: On-going War between Honesty and Digital Fascism

               Everyone becomes honest when he or she thinks or talks about a relationship with
               his or her own family members. This means that happiness in the family is based on
               the value of honesty. Honesty should also be the essential value for the state-citizen
               relationship. When people are knowingly deceived by their own government, they
               can never feel happiness from that governance and citizenship. Sadly enough,
               honesty is the value fading away in many parts of the world in this digital and mass
               media era.
               What is happening in Korea in recent years goes beyond the level of a simple political
               struggle between conservative and progressive. It is foreshadowing the era of
               organized deception by a cartel of interest/ideology-sharing power groups inside and
               outside of the nation. This era might eventually lead us to the so-called 'digital
               fascism'.

               Fascism, which appeared in the 1920s and 40s, attempted to realize the complete
               solidarity and integration of the ruling class. The guiding ideology and fascist leaders
               were subject to enthusiastic worship, and criticism of this was unacceptable and
               dangerous. The system established by mankind to fundamentally suppress fascism,
               which served as a key factor in the outbreak of World War II, is a democratic
               procedure. The essence of a democratic system, whether liberal or social democracy,
               lies not in its "ideology", but in its "process". The principles and institutions
               established by the national community gain legitimacy through the domination of
               the democratic majority, and in order to do so, the principle of respect for the
               minority must be observed.

               The question of fairness of the electoral system has suddenly been at the forefront of
               the very modern society of Korea in the last four years. This topic has also been
               raised at least in several other countries including the United States. Similar cases
               keep happening in many countries on the path of China’s Belt and Road initiative in
               which China is developing roads and ports in dozens of countries while building
               markets for Chinese exports. These countries include Turkey (2015), Iraq (2018),
               Iran (2009), Kyrgyzstan (2009), Kenya (2018) and DR Congo (2018).

               The democratic governance of rule by majority can only be justified if the arguments
               of minorities claiming fraudulent elections should be sufficiently and promptly
               verified or disproven. Fair and honest examination of election fraud claims is the
               core of the principle of democracy. The South Korean government, the National
               Assembly and the courts have been thoroughly ignoring, for more than two years,
               people's ongoing protests and more than 200 formal lawsuits against the fraudulent
               general election of April 15 2020 and then they have covered up those cases with an





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