[Inside Chodong] The Election Is Over, But... Let's Not Forget the 'Election Fraud' Conspiracy Theory

The 21st presidential election, which was triggered by the December 3 Martial Law last year, has concluded with the inauguration of a new president. Now is the time to end the chaos and restore stability. However, there are those who refuse to accept this. These are the people claiming election fraud. When former People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moonsoo conceded defeat and left the party headquarters, these individuals continued to shout "election fraud" and "refusal to accept the presidential election," refusing to back down from their claims. The embers of chaos are still alive.

The main issue raised by those alleging election fraud in this election is early voting. A YouTuber who has advocated for a 'presidential election boycott' insisted that early voting was fraudulent and urged his supporters to participate in the main vote instead. He did so while kneeling and crying. One candidate, who withdrew immediately after early voting, claimed, "This is not an election, but a scam," and asserted allegations of election fraud. In addition, the group led by this candidate volunteered to monitor early voting and caused disturbances at polling stations, clashing with election officials.

The most prominent claim in the early voting conspiracy theory is that the progressive camp's vote share in early voting is excessively higher than in the main vote. For example, in Seoul's Jongno District, which recorded the highest early voting rate in the 21st general election, 47,200 people participated in early voting. Candidate Lee Nakyon and candidate Hwang Kyoan received 30,943 and 15,108 votes, respectively. In the main vote, 48,039 people participated, with Lee Nakyon receiving 23,959 votes and Hwang Kyoan receiving 22,486 votes. Conspiracy theorists argue that even though a similar number of voters participated, the vote gap is too large. However, this is not true. There is no reason why the results of early voting and the main vote should be similar. It is simply a baseless assumption forced to fit their narrative.

Additionally, some claim that the average vote ratio between Democratic Party and United Future Party candidates in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon consistently showed a 63% to 36% split, and cite this as evidence of election fraud. However, this is also inaccurate. Such claims are based solely on the vote shares of the two main parties, calculated to fit a predetermined outcome. When candidates from other parties and independents are included, the numbers are completely different: Seoul is 61.31% : 34.55% : 4.14%, Incheon is 58.82% : 33.91% : 7.27%, and Gyeonggi is 60.68% : 34.76% : 4.56%. They are only seeing what they want to see.

The so-called "shape-memory paper" claim, which alleges that stiff ballots were found in ballot boxes, is also baseless. As the reporter writing this article, I also do not fully fold my ballot when placing it in the ballot box, to avoid the ink from the stamp smudging elsewhere. In the case of out-of-district early voting, ballots are placed in return envelopes before being put in the ballot box, so if the ballot is small, there is no need to fold it at all.

There have been countless other claims of election fraud, but the courts have not accepted a single one. According to the election fraud conspiracy theory, a force powerful enough to control everyone involved in the election, as well as the judiciary, orchestrated the fraud. If such a force had that level of control, would they even need to hold an election?

Election fraud conspiracy theories, especially those regarding early voting, ultimately only harm the very forces they support. If people from the opposing camp vote over three days, but your side only votes on the main election day, it is obvious which side has the advantage. If you want your side to win, it would be better to focus on promoting your policies and vision, rather than insisting on election fraud. Remember that if you overturn the game just because you do not like the situation at the gambling table, the pot will not automatically come to you.