As investigators attempted to arrest South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday morning, his supporters gathered outside the presidential residence waving two national flags: the South Korean Taegukgi alongside the American Stars and Stripes.
To outsiders, the unexpected combination might seem baffling, but to Yoon’s supporters, the US represents more than an ally: It is a perceived ideal. The symbolism of the US flag is a declaration of a broader cultural and spiritual order they believe is under threat.
Holding both flags outside Yoon’s residence on Friday, 74-year-old Pyeong In-su said the police had to be stopped by “patriotic citizens” and he hoped US president-elect Donald Trump could come to Yoon’s aid.
“I hope after Trump’s inauguration he can use his influence to help our country get back on the right track,” he said, as he waved both flags with the message: “Let’s go together” in English and Korean.
While pro-Yoon groups criticize their opponents as being subservient to North Korea, they openly venerate the US.
They frequently remind followers that the US liberated Korea from Japanese colonial rule and defended it during the Korean War of 1950 to 1953, casting the US as a divine protector of democracy embedded in Christian values.
Over recent years, these groups, which remain a fringe element of South Korean society, have increasingly adopted rhetoric from the US right, particularly around claims of election fraud.
This narrative has intensified since Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law last month, which he justified by claiming electoral manipulation and the presence of “pro-North Korean, anti-state forces” — actions that led to his impeachment and arrest warrant.
With echoes of claims of election denial movements in the US, a Korea Research poll released last week showed that 65 percent of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party supporters believe the parliamentary elections in April last year were fraudulent, despite only 29 percent of the general public sharing this view.
The elections saw the opposition parties including the Democratic party win a decisive victory, securing 192 seats in the 300-seat parliament. No major election observers or court has raised concerns about the vote, with fraud claims debunked as unsubstantiated.
Regardless, the allegations have been amplified through a network of far-right YouTube channels, where conservative commentators livestream the rallies and promote a wide range of conspiracy theories.
These online echo chambers, which Yoon himself has been accused of relying on for information, have become key platforms for spreading unfounded claims and maintaining supporter morale.
In South Korea and the US, similar tactics have been observed: questioning election integrity, claiming moral authority through religious values and portraying political opponents as enemies of the state.
The unlikely links between the movements can be traced back to the rise in evangelical Protestant churches in South Korea, which form the backbone of Yoon’s most ardent support base.
Many of these churches were founded by Christians who fled communist persecution in North Korea before the Korean War, embedding a fierce anti-communist ideology into their religious identity.
These churches, including the influential Sarang Jeil Church led by populist pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, hold regular rallies in central Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square to denounce any opposition as “communist forces” who deserve the death penalty.
Their weekly gatherings often feature simultaneous English translation on stage and livestreams targeting US audiences, with US bank account details displayed for international donations.
The impeached leader has also tapped into the messaging. On New Year’s Day, Yoon himself reinforced their narrative in a defiant message to supporters, warning of “forces infringing on sovereignty” while vowing to “fight until the end.” He admitted to watching their YouTube broadcasts.
At Friday’s rally outside his residence, protesters held banners in Korean claiming “election fraud” and in English, “Stop The Steal.” When asked for specific evidence of electoral manipulation, none could answer.
Raphael Rashid is a Seoul-based freelance journalist and author of The Korea We Refuse to See.
Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not a “happy camper” these days regarding Taiwan? Taiwanese have not become more “CCP friendly” in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of spies and graft by the United Front Work Department, intimidation conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police/Coast Guard, and endless subversive political warfare measures, including cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. The percentage of Taiwanese that prefer the status quo or prefer moving towards independence continues to rise — 76 percent as of December last year. According to National Chengchi University (NCCU) polling, the Taiwanese
It would be absurd to claim to see a silver lining behind every US President Donald Trump cloud. Those clouds are too many, too dark and too dangerous. All the same, viewed from a domestic political perspective, there is a clear emerging UK upside to Trump’s efforts at crashing the post-Cold War order. It might even get a boost from Thursday’s Washington visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In July last year, when Starmer became prime minister, the Labour Party was rigidly on the defensive about Europe. Brexit was seen as an electorally unstable issue for a party whose priority
US President Donald Trump is systematically dismantling the network of multilateral institutions, organizations and agreements that have helped prevent a third world war for more than 70 years. Yet many governments are twisting themselves into knots trying to downplay his actions, insisting that things are not as they seem and that even if they are, confronting the menace in the White House simply is not an option. Disagreement must be carefully disguised to avoid provoking his wrath. For the British political establishment, the convenient excuse is the need to preserve the UK’s “special relationship” with the US. Following their White House
US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought renewed scrutiny to the Taiwan-US semiconductor relationship with his claim that Taiwan “stole” the US chip business and threats of 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made processors. For Taiwanese and industry leaders, understanding those developments in their full context is crucial while maintaining a clear vision of Taiwan’s role in the global technology ecosystem. The assertion that Taiwan “stole” the US’ semiconductor industry fundamentally misunderstands the evolution of global technology manufacturing. Over the past four decades, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), has grown through legitimate means
RSS