Conspiracy theory about NEC, Chinese spies and U.S. military catches fire on the right

Home > National > Politics

print dictionary print

Conspiracy theory about NEC, Chinese spies and U.S. military catches fire on the right

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a rally waving flags of South Korea and the United States near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong in central Seoul on Jan. 12. [LIM HYEON-DONG]

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a rally waving flags of South Korea and the United States near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong in central Seoul on Jan. 12. [LIM HYEON-DONG]

 
A report alleging that 90 individuals were confined at the National Election Commission (NEC)'s training institute during the short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 morphed into a baseless conspiracy theory claiming they were Chinese spies and were deported to a U.S. military base.
 
Despite denials from the NEC, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and police, the fake news spread rapidly, fueled by right-wing media, YouTubers and political figures — highlighting the struggles of fighting against the rapid spread of misinformation.
 

Related Article

Bae Jin-han, President Yoon Suk Yeol's lawyer, claimed during Yoon's second impeachment hearing last Thursday that these individuals "were transferred to a U.S. military base in Okinawa" in Japan and "confessed to election interference," reference speculation of meddling in Korea's 2020 general election and the manipulation of results to favor left-leaning parties. 
 
Former Constitutional Court Justice Cho Dae-hyun, another member of Yoon’s defense team, echoed the claims, asserting that martial law was necessary to combat “domestic and international communist leftist forces plotting election fraud to seize power in the National Assembly" — the conspiracy theories, originally propagated by some right-wing YouTubers, now reaching the impeachment trial.
 
The allegations trace back to a Dec. 24 report by SisaIN, a progressive weekly magazine, reporting that plainclothes men restricted the movement of approximately 90 civilians and NEC staff at the Suwon Training Institute during martial law, criticizing the government's actions.
 
Right-wing YouTuber Shin In-kyun, with 1.47 million subscribers, distorted the report in a Dec. 25 video, first introducing the narrative of "Chinese interference."
 
Shin claimed that the restricted individuals were not Koreans, citing comments on the original SisaIn article speculating on Chinese hackers involved in the election fraud. The video garnered over 1.1 million views. 
 
The deep partisan divisions are rooted in Korea’s history, including the Korean War and subsequent military dictatorships. Many Yoon supporters, a large number of whom are older conservatives, view politics through a Cold War lens, aligning with pro-U.S. conservatives against perceived pro-North Korea and communist liberals. Yoon’s claims that martial law was necessary to combat the “antistate” liberal majority resonate with these voters.  
 
On Dec. 26, right-leaning outlet Sky Daily published a column by Kim Tae-yeon, a former professor of Myongji University, labeling the individuals as a “Chinese hacker squad,” despite providing no evidence. 
 
Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn further amplified the theory in an opinion piece for the online media Finance Today, questioning the allegations and urging investigations into the matter.  
 
An article published by the right-leaning Sky Daily on Jan. 17 claims 99 Chinese were arrested at the NEC Training Institute and transported to U.S. military base in Japan. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

An article published by the right-leaning Sky Daily on Jan. 17 claims 99 Chinese were arrested at the NEC Training Institute and transported to U.S. military base in Japan. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The spread of the misinformation peaked at a Jan. 16 article from Sky Daily alleging that 99 Chinese spies were transported via Pyeongtaek Port to a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan, citing a source from "the U.S. military."
 
In a follow-up article on Jan. 18, it reported that the Chinese detainees confessed to U.S. intelligence to using AI and writing online comments to manipulate public opinion in Korea.
 
Yet different agencies debunked such reports and claims.
 
Surveillance video footage from the NEC Training Institute revealed that martial law troops never entered the building and instead waited in a nearby parking lot. 
 
On Friday, the NEC issued a statement denouncing the conspiracy theory as “entirely false.” It explained that two training programs for NEC employees were held at the institute on December 3, and the martial law troops did not enter the building. 
 
Responding to media inquiries, USFK said claims about U.S. military involvement were "entirely false," highlighting that it is committed to "maintaining stability and security on the Korean Peninsula."
 
Military sources also confirmed that no Chinese individuals were detained or involved, and the National Police Agency, currently investigating the Dec. 3 martial law incident, reiterated the allegations were “completely unfounded.”
 
SisaIn followed up on Jan. 17, 25 days after its initial report, clarifying that surveillance footage showed no evidence of martial law troops entering the NEC training institute.
 
Despite the denials, Sky Daily defended its reporting, stating its article was “99 percent verified.” On social media, supporters of Yoon embraced the narrative, with some saying that unless Sky Daily retracts its article or apologizes, "only their reporting remains the truth.”  
 
The NEC plans to file a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission and pursue legal action against media outlets spreading false information.

BY KIM SEO-WON, LEE SU-MIN, SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)