South Korean Disinformation Campaign Falsely Blames China for Political Crisis

A failed attempt to impose martial law by President Yoon Suk-yeol last year triggered South Korea's most severe political crisis in decades. This turmoil created ideal conditions for the spread of false information. A persistent narrative, repeated on right-wing internet forums, promoted by social media influencers, and echoed by some politicians, placed blame on China. Supporters of President Yoon made unfounded claims that Beijing had infiltrated public protests. They also alleged that China secretly funded a campaign to impeach Yoon and manipulated South Korean online discussions. This disinformation campaign preceded a snap election in June that brought opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to power.