False Address Allegations for Lee Jae Myung, Tearful Kim Moonsoo... Spicy Fake News Memes Drive Millions of Clicks [Rampant Fakes on SNS Politics ①]

Cleverly edited deepfakes spread as memes:
Lee's profanity file maliciously edited and circulated
Kim mocked and smeared through deliberately edited relationships
Attacks target not only the candidates but also their families and close associates

Editor's NoteFake news and smear campaigns are an inevitable part of every election season. Candidates' words and actions are distorted and re-edited into short video clips, while unverified information is spread under the guise of "facts." Social networking services (SNS) have evolved from channels for information delivery into tools for agitation, and voters are swept up in public opinion as both consumers and disseminators. As false information threatens democracy, elections are turning from arenas of politics into battlegrounds of public opinion. This has led to an extreme fragmentation of the public sphere and a growing crisis that even the minimum core information shared by the public may disappear. In this three-part series, we examine the issues and realities of political warfare on SNS and seek possible solutions.

As the 21st presidential election intensifies, the battle for public opinion on SNS is escalating. In particular, smear content and fake news targeting Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, are rapidly spreading on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, increasing political fatigue. Posts that go beyond simple debate and contain defamatory fabrications are flooding the platforms.

Smear and fake news content is being newly reconstructed and mass-produced, drawing from both past and present cases. A recent example is a video edited from a recording of Lee Jae Myung's profanity-laden remarks toward his sister-in-law, which spread on TikTok as a 10-second "meme content." This video, accompanied by the phrase "The dignity of the president chosen by the people," was maliciously looped and viewed millions of times. Comments such as "King of abusive language" and "How can we entrust the country to such a person?" followed. The video circulated without any factual explanation or context and was further disseminated through YouTube and Instagram Reels.

One of the most prominent cases of fake news exploiting past events is the "Gyeyang-eul false address registration" controversy. The allegation claimed that Lee Jae Myung registered a false address at a luxury officetel in Gyeyang when running in the June 2022 parliamentary by-election for Gyeyang-eul, Incheon. However, the actual incident originated from a dispute between Kim Namjun, then deputy chief of political affairs in the Democratic Party leader’s office and a close aide to Lee, and Yoon Hyungseon, then People Power Party candidate and former Gyeyang-eul party chapter head. The controversy had no connection to Lee Jae Myung himself.

The incident began when Kim Namjun, in a commentary, called Yoon Hyungseon a "fake Gyeyang resident." Yoon responded by asserting that he had lived in Gyeyang-gu for more than five years since June 1999, ultimately taking the matter to the Supreme Court. The controversy was then cleverly manipulated and reconstructed to falsely suggest that Lee Jae Myung himself had engaged in false address registration.

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, raises his hand to greet voters at the "Revolution of Light" rally held at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on the 12th, marking the official start of the 21st presidential election campaign. 2025.5.12 Photo by Kim Hyun Min

Content mocking or smearing Kim Moonsoo is no exception. Recently, a video of Kim crying and demanding the release of Pastor Jeon Kwanghoon of Sarang Jeil Church, who was arrested in 2020, was released this month on X (formerly Twitter). In the 1-minute-20-second video, Kim is seen attending a live worship service at Sarang Jeil Church, tearfully stating, "If Pastor Jeon Kwanghoon had been with us, we would not have suffered." Kim Moonsoo's campaign has labeled this as fake news and denied any connection to the incident.

Online attacks against both candidates are also targeting their families and close associates. Last month, the Democratic Party revealed that there had been an attempt to distribute deepfake (voice and image synthesis technology) videos related to Lee Jae Myung's wife, Kim Hye Kyung, and announced plans for a firm response. There have also been numerous smears exploiting Kim Moonsoo's past health issues, with claims such as "He won't last a year if elected president."

The majority of such SNS content is produced in meme format, characterized by being short and provocative. This makes it difficult to determine whether the information is false and quickly stirs up public emotions. In particular, TikTok has established "meme politics" through short videos of 15 to 60 seconds, leading to criticism that political discourse is being trivialized.

Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and Kim Yongtae, a lawmaker designated as the emergency response committee chairman of the People Power Party, are performing the national ceremony at the central committee appointment ceremony held at the People Power Party central headquarters in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 12th. 2025.05.12 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The organized actions of political fandoms are also cited as a problem. Certain supporters act as "comment squads," leaving large numbers of smear comments on opposing candidates' content or manipulating hashtags to deliberately increase exposure.

Experts point out that SNS has transformed from a forum for political discourse into a "weapon of political agitation," but also note the difficulties of regulating it. Lee Junwoong, a professor of communication at Seoul National University, said, "Excessive regulation could, conversely, lead to criticism for controlling information, as in China or Russia," adding, "This is why factual reporting by the media is all the more important."