Anti-American leftists could turn South Korea into the next Venezuela

South Korea’s Constitutional Court, by unanimous decision, removed conservative-leaning Yoon Suk Yeol from bureau connected April 4, citing his December 3 declaration of martial law. 

The predetermination to regenerate Yoon has been acceptable for June 3. An anti-American, hardcore leftist, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, is present the starring campaigner to go the 14th president of the Republic of Korea. 

If Lee gets his way, helium volition astir surely effort to extremity South Korea’s confederation with the United States and determination volition beryllium thing stopping him from opening his state to much Chinese and North Korean infiltration. He seemingly believes successful the reunification of Korea, truthful arsenic president helium volition astir apt bash each helium tin to merge his Republic of Korea into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the ceremonial sanction of North Korea.  

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The South Korean radical arsenic a full bash not stock Lee’s agenda, but determination are 2 problems. Lee is perfectly ruthless — helium threatened "horrific wide bloodshed and chaos" this period if the Constitutional Court freed Yoon — and his enactment is astir definite to rig the adjacent election.  

National Assembly employees spray a occurrence extinguisher towards soldiers astatine the National Assembly successful Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (Cho Da-un/Yonhap via AP)

The adjacent election, therefore, could beryllium the past successful Korea. 

All the nationalist elections this decennary successful South Korea person been marred by fraud. Minjoo, arsenic the Democratic Party of Korea is commonly known, astir surely changed ballots successful astatine slightest the past 3 nationalist elections, starting successful 2020.  

Its "uniformly narrow" wins successful territory aft territory successful the National Assembly contests successful 2020 were "statistically improbable" arsenic were the results successful the National Assembly predetermination past year. The results successful some 2020 and 2024 were substantially antithetic than precocious polling suggested, an denotation of ballot fraud. 

Also, improbable was Lee Jae-myung’s awesome showing successful the 2022 statesmanlike election, which helium mislaid to Yoon by a overmuch person borderline than the past polls indicated.  

What is the anticipation of ballot rigging now? "There’s a precise precocious likelihood of fraud successful the upcoming South Korean statesmanlike election, say, 99%, possibly 100%," Grant Newsham, a South Korea analyst, told maine aft Yoon was removed. "Every signifier of the electoral process is susceptible to manipulation and outright fraud. The National Election Commission, the NEC, is simply a tainted enactment and shows nary signs of wanting to code vulnerabilities, overmuch little existent grounds of fraud." 

"The NEC aft the Constitutional Court’s ruling is adjacent much powerful," Tara O of the East Asia Research Center pointed retired successful comments to maine recently. "They hatred it erstwhile anyone mentions predetermination fraud." 

South Koreans notation fraud, with bully reason. In October 2023, the South Korean National Intelligence Service tried to penetrate the country’s predetermination infrastructure and recovered that the NEC’s strategy was easy compromised. The NIS recovered it could manipulate votes, ballot counts, and electoral rolls, among different things.  

North Korea’s hackers, including the notorious Lazarus Group, besides person penetrated the NEC’s system. 

South Korea's main absorption Democratic Party leader, Lee Jae-myung, is starring the statesmanlike race. FILE: Lee speaks during the disbandment ceremonial of the party's predetermination committee for the parliamentary predetermination astatine the party's office successful Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Worse, arsenic Newsham points out, "There’s been nary evident effort to fortify the NEC network." There has been an astir implicit nonaccomplishment by authorities officials and prosecutors to analyse and hole what autarkic observers, specified arsenic Newsham, person observed. 

The nonaccomplishment to hole South Korea’s faulty predetermination infrastructure volition person consequences. "This upcoming predetermination is Minjoo’s champion accidental ever to get power of the main levers of powerfulness and determination the Republic of Korea toward a one-party state, its semipermanent objective," says Newsham, besides writer of "When China Attacks: A Warning to America." "Will they cheat your mode to powerfulness with this past portion of the puzzle, the presidency? Of course, they’ll try." 

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Why should Americans care? The past leftist president, Minjoo’s Moon Jae-in, tried to unit Samsung and different South Korean giants to disclose technology, thereby giving China invaluable assistance. Samsung, on with Taiwan’s TSMC, makes the world’s astir blase machine chips. Its tech successful the hands of Beijing, particularly if Taiwan were to autumn to China, would springiness China power of chipmaking worldwide. 

Geopolitical considerations are adjacent much important, and China and North Korea cognize what’s astatine stake. Beijing and Pyongyang person actively engaged successful covert efforts to overthrow South Korea’s democracy. As David Maxwell of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Asia Pacific Strategy reports, "China’s United Front Work Department has been conducting extended covert operations successful South Korea arsenic portion of Beijing’s broader ‘unrestrictive warfare’ strategy."  

What is the anticipation of ballot rigging now? "There’s a precise precocious likelihood of fraud successful the upcoming South Korean statesmanlike election, say, 99%, possibly 100%," Grant Newsham, a South Korea analyst, told maine aft Yoon was removed.

Maxwell besides notes that pro-North Korean elements wrong South Korea, including governmental figures, civic organizations and clandestine groups, are receiving "covert assistance" from North Korea’s United Front Department and Reconnaissance General Bureau.

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A destabilized South Korea would airs important challenges to American information interests. As Maxwell, who served 5 tours of work successful the South with the U.S. Army, points out, "For North Korea and China, undermining the South Korean authorities is simply a means to fracture the Republic of Korea-United States alliance, dismantle the U.S. atomic umbrella, and yet thrust Americans forces retired of the Korean peninsula and mainland Asia." 

Newsham worries astir thing that present seems inconceivable but is successful information wholly possible. "South Korea," helium says, "could go the adjacent Venezuela."  

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