Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform Party, and Jeon Hangil (real name Jeon Yugwan), a YouTuber and former Korean history instructor, engaged in a heated debate on February 27 on the topic of alleged election fraud. Lee strongly emphasized his stance that claims of election fraud are conspiracy theories, while Jeon and his team insisted that there exists a cartel orchestrating fraudulent elections.
Both sides participated in the debate titled "Election Fraud, Is It a Conspiracy Theory?" which was hosted by PenN Mic and broadcast live on YouTube at 6 p.m. that day. In addition to Lee and Jeon, Jeon's side was represented by producer Lee Youngdon, attorney Park Juhyun, and VON CEO Kim Miyoung, forming a "1 vs. 4" structure. At one point during the debate, more than 300,000 people viewed it simultaneously.
In his opening statement, Lee said, "I am the one with direct involvement in this matter. In the 2020 general election, I won in-person voting but lost in early voting, leading to my defeat. Jeon claims I was elected through election fraud in Dongtan, but this time again, I lost in early voting and won big in in-person voting. For six years, unfounded suspicions have been rolling around as if they were the truth, just because people talk loudly, when nothing about them is correct," he pointed out.
In contrast, Jeon countered, "I used to be a private academy instructor. What would I gain from making such claims? Until a year ago, I thought those who talked about election fraud were just making excuses after losing elections. But as discussions on electronic voting reform began, I started to see the problem more seriously. Since Lee's major was computer science, he should know better than anyone else the risks of hacking and the potential for manipulation in electronic voting."
Lee requested that Jeon's side specify when, in which elections, and by what methods election fraud had occurred.
In response, Jeon said, "There is computer manipulation, and sometimes stacks of ballots are inserted into the ballot box like bundles of new bills to inflate the number of voters and change the outcome." Attorney Park insisted, "There is a cartel involved throughout the entire election process, from planning, bidding, polling, voting, counting, recounting, to the preservation of evidence. The main party responsible for election fraud is the National Election Commission."
Kim also brought up the Manhattan Project, a nuclear bomb development program jointly conducted by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada during World War II, and claimed, "Scientists, politicians, and military personnel have joined forces in (election fraud)." She continued, "Among Korean figures, President Kim Daejung was involved as a politician, and An Minwoo as a scientist."
To this, Lee responded, "Are you saying even the Supreme Court, the prosecution, and the Ministry of Justice are part of the cartel? If you cannot specify who, when, where, what, and how, then verification is impossible. If you claim that there were flaws in every stage, like a 'Manhattan Project' influenced by an unnamed person or Kim Daejung, how can anyone verify this?" he criticized.
Kim, who demanded verification using the integrated voter roll, argued, "For both in-person and early voting, the list of actual voters from that day remains. Even if we verify just one area, like Jongno-myeon or Jongno, the conclusion would come within three days," she emphasized.
On the other hand, Lee once again countered, "They say to disclose the integrated voter roll, but that's resident registration information. Should that be handed over to individuals and verified by judicial authorities? For an investigation, there needs to be a basis for suspicion, but there is none," he argued.
During the debate, Jeon remarked, "This is not a place where I should be; lawmakers like Jung Chungrae of the Democratic Party, President Lee Jaemyung, and Kim Eojun should be here. Kim Eojun made the election fraud documentary when former President Park Geunhye was elected." In response, Lee asked, "Then, Mr. Jeon Hangil, why are you following Kim Eojun if you have nothing better to do? Shouldn't you be the one to verify these claims yourself?"
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