Page 8 - Election Book-ENG
P. 8
Defending Democracy:
The Fight for Electoral Integrity
(As originally published in the February 2021 Edition, Vols I & II)
Fred Fleitz
President, Centre for Security Policy
Washington, DC
February 4, 2021
Free and fair elections are not a partisan issue. They matter to all citizens-no
matter their political persuasion. South Korea’s national election held on April
15, 2020 and marred by allegations of electoral fraud was a timely reminder that
honest elections - and citizens trust in them - are the backbone of a genuinely
democratic society.
The April election was an overwhelming victory for the incumbent party. Yet it
also produced an unprecedented number of lawsuits claiming irregularities in
nearly all phases of the electoral process - and including allegations of digital
manipulation and foreign interference.
Most strikingly uncovering the evidence was the spontaneous citizen-driven
affair. A diverse group of South Koreans, including eminent professors, lawyers,
journalists, YouTubers, politicians, statisticians, and a host of ‘regular’ citizens
amassed an impressive body of evidence to support their claims. This was done
