'Stop Stealing' Sign Held by Supporters of President Yoon
Words Used by Trump Supporters Claiming Election Fraud
"Statements by President Yoon and Trump Are Becoming Increasingly Similar"
Major U.S. media outlets have taken note of the fact that both pro- and anti-impeachment protesters regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol are using symbols related to the United States. On the 5th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported, "On the 3rd, when an attempt was made to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon, supporters waved the U.S. flag, sang the national anthem, and held signs bearing the slogan ‘Stop the Steal.’"
A rally supporting President Yoon Seok-yeol is being held near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News
This slogan is known to have been used by supporters of then-President-elect Donald Trump after his defeat in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, alleging election fraud. Earlier, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and a close ally of Trump, also drew attention by commenting "Wow" on X (formerly Twitter) upon seeing photos of protesters holding this sign.
Regarding this, evaluations have emerged that the political rhetoric of President Yoon and President-elect Trump are becoming increasingly similar. WP pointed out, "Just as Trump claimed the 2020 election was fraudulent and that there were ‘enemies within,’ President Yoon labeled the opposition as ‘anti-state forces’ and deployed martial law troops through the National Election Commission," adding, "Some far-right voters have increasingly tended to believe in election fraud theories, especially after the emergency martial law on December 3rd."
The day before, The New York Times (NYT) also reported in an article titled ‘How Fear and Conspiracy Theories Fuel South Korea’s Political Crisis’ that "If Trump has MAGA (Make America Great Again) behind him, President Yoon has the ‘Taegukgi Brigade’." NYT analyzed, "For them, protecting President Yoon is synonymous with defending South Korea from ‘pro-North Korean’ elements deeply rooted throughout society."
On the morning of the 3rd, the flag of the state of Virginia, USA, bearing the phrase "Tyrants will always end up like this," was raised at the Gwangju City Hall building. Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, on the 3rd, in front of Gwangju City Hall, the Virginia state flag bearing the motto ‘sic semper tyrannis’ (thus always to tyrants) attracted attention. This motto was adopted during the American Revolutionary War in 1776 and signifies that tyrants will meet a miserable end in opposition to British forces.
The flag was sent to Gwangju City the day before by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, as a token of gratitude for the hospitality received when the Virginia delegation visited Gwangju last November. In response, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung stated, "On the morning of the arrest of the tyrant Yoon Suk-yeol, the state flag and certificate of appreciation sent by the Governor of Virginia arrived," adding, "The phrase on the flag is deeply meaningful." He emphasized, "The truth across time and cultures is that those who abuse power are inevitably doomed to destruction."
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