[Political Talk] The 'Mouth' of Politicians Amplifying Fake News and Hate

Media, YouTubers, and Politicians Spread 'Hate Speech'
Speculative Fake News Floods Without Fact-Checking
Zealous Supporters and Vote-Hungry Politicians Exploit It
Media Repeating Without Self-Regulation Also a Problem

“Is the weapon a wooden chopstick?”

“Jae-myung’s supporter stabbed Jae-myung.”

“The responsibility lies with Yoon Seok-yeol!”

“I don’t see an 18cm knife. It’s a fabrication.”

These were some of the most 'liked' comments on our report on the 3rd (“The attack on Lee Jae-myung was a terror caused by politics that breeds polarization and hatred”). They mentioned baseless suspicions such as the weapon used in the attack on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, in Busan on the 2nd being a wooden chopstick, or that President Yoon Seok-yeol was responsible. The police confirmed that the weapon used in the attack on Representative Lee was an ‘18cm long weapon,’ and although the suspect’s background or motive has not been clearly revealed, speculative fake news and conspiracy theories are spreading through online public forums.

On the 2nd and 3rd, numerous videos doubting and mocking the stabbing incident involving Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, were uploaded on YouTube. (Source=YouTube)

Rumors, Conspiracy Theories, and Fake News Rampant on YouTube

Conspiracy theories are rampant regarding the political terror incident involving the leader of the main opposition party. A conservative YouTube channel claimed, “The weapon and blood are part of a staged show.” Additionally, rumors have circulated online that the briefing at Seoul National University Hospital on the 2nd was canceled because the injury was not severe.

A YouTuber with nearly 200,000 subscribers even dissected and enlarged the brutal attack scene frame by frame, compiling over 30 minutes of footage to assert that “it’s not a knife.” These videos are not limited to YouTube but are amplified and reproduced through online communities. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, “There are some political YouTubers who try to profit from fake news,” adding, “When incidents occur, they act like ‘cyber wreckers,’ raising suspicions as much as possible and then cleverly avoiding legal responsibility.”

Political Circles Desperate for Votes from Zealous Supporters, Inciting Anger, Hostility, Hatred, and Antagonism

The problem is that political figures are also spewing words that incite hatred, hostility, and antagonism. On the 2nd, former Democratic Party deputy spokesperson Lee Kyung said on his SNS, “President (Yoon Seok-yeol) neglects people’s livelihoods and maximizes national division by talking about cartels and ideology, so isn’t this (the attack on Representative Lee Jae-myung) happening because of that?” Lee later posted the suspect’s face without mosaic censorship in the comments.

Although not related to the attack on Representative Lee, last year Min Kyung-woo, head of the Min Kyung-woo Mathematics Research Institute, made a statement that also falls under serious ‘hate speech’: “Old people should hurry up and die.” In October last year, on the YouTube channel ‘Gwak Eun-kyung TV,’ Min said, “The greatest tragedy right now is that old people live too long,” and “They should hurry up and die,” which drew public backlash. Because of this, Min was nominated as an emergency committee member by Han Dong-hoon but resigned from the position just one day after the official appointment.

Mingyeongwoo, head of Mingyeongwoo Mathematics Research Institute, is speaking at a talk concert held at a cafe in Jung-gu, Seoul on October 17 last year. (Source=YouTube)

Experts point out that the problem lies in zealous supporters and candidates desperate for votes joining forces to spew hateful and hostile remarks. Political commentator Lee Dong-soo told our paper, “The reason hate speech and fake news never cease is that distorting reality and inciting through such words helps in nominations and elections,” adding, “If it is a political party, its members should be made aware that spreading distorted facts is not in the public interest.” He emphasized, “Currently, in each party, organizing votes from hardline party members is advantageous to get nominations. There will definitely be attempts to distort and exploit incidents to stimulate party members’ sentiments.”

Media Also Problematic for Repeating Hate Speech Without Self-Regulation

The media that simply ‘repeats’ distorted public issues without any editorial or self-regulation is also diagnosed as an accomplice. Because hateful words from political circles are reported without any filtering or self-correction, provocative hate speech floods the media, and problems of conspiracy theories and fake news remain unresolved.

Professor Choi Chang-ryeol of Yongin University said, “Extreme panelists claiming far-right and far-left appear on broadcasts, and fake news floods YouTube. Politicians post extreme remarks on SNS. The media repeats these as they are, polluting the public sphere in a way that amplifies hostility rather than ‘compromise and coexistence.’” He pointed out that the problem is that political public discourse becomes chaotic due to ‘quote journalism,’ ‘live coverage of fights,’ and ‘repeating abusive language,’ filling reports with ‘verbal fights’ that voters have no reason to know about. Professor Choi said, “This is not only a threat to democracy but should also be seen as a form of anti-intellectualism.”