Page 40 - Interview Book(KOR)-2025-01

Moon Jae In’s response? Call it fake news and conspiracy theories, while putting
pressure on the people who raised the charges. The National Election Commission’s
response was muddled and unconvincing, and it apparently destroyed at least some
of the evidence.

The NEC steadfastly resisted attempts at recount and punished anyone who
challenged it, which resulted in numerous investigations against those who raised
election fraud concerns.

As evidence of the NEC’s stance towards those trying to examine electoral processes
in a particular locality, the NEC’s Chairman for its Division 1 Cho Kyu-young
directly stated a recount was out of the question and warned he would take “strong
actions” against those who raise election fraud concerns.

Indeed, the NEC filed charges against the Citizens’ Solidarity for Fair Elections for
“distributing false facts” posting stickers encouraging people to vote on the day of the
election (instead of during the early voting period that many people deemed more
susceptible to fraud).

In March 2022 before the South Korean presidential election, the NEC filed charges
against Hwang Kyo Ahn, Min Kyung Wook, and Gong Byung Ho (a professor with his
own YouTube channel covering election fraud) for encouraging the voters to vote on
the day of the election, and highlighting the risks of early voting.

The judiciary and prosecutors appeared mostly uninterested in pursuing election
integrity cases, as were most of the local and foreign media.

Indeed, the South Korean media, including the main so-called ‘conservative’ outlets
have proven remarkably uninterested in pursuing electoral fraud stories.
Explanations range from simple laziness at having to do the legwork necessary to
uncover behavior that is intended to be hidden to fear of being targeted by the
government and other parties that might be behind the electoral wrongdoing. And in
some occasions the media is believed to sympathize with the election manipulators’
objectives.

This has left a handful of stalwart YouTubers and reporters trying to follow up on
election integrity subjects in an attempt to keep some level of public awareness alive.
One such person is Heo Gyeom, a journalist at Skye Daily who has done good work
on these issues.
Also, Hwang Kyo-Ahn, a former Acting President of South Korea continues to
diligently promote election integrity and to pursue and promote awareness of
irregularities in the South Korean electoral system – and encourages citizens to get
involved in taking on this threat.
Over 130 lawsuits were filed over election irregularities – an unprecedented number.
South Korean Electoral Law requires they are addressed and resolved within 180
days. Only a small handful had been taken up for consideration over a year later.

Even the main opposition party (the "conservatives") did not pursue the charges with
any vigor. And they still don’t. Do so and you will have trouble in the party, and if you
wish to run you won’t be selected as a candidate for office. Keep your mouth shut
about election fraud, and things go easier for you.

-20-