Disinformation Campaign Targets Judge Presiding Over South Korean President’s Impeachment Trial
A deluge of disinformation, including fabricated child pornography claims, false accusations of communist sympathies, and manipulated social media posts, has targeted Judge Moon Hyung-bae, the interim head of South Korea’s Constitutional Court, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon faces removal from office following a parliamentary vote triggered by his controversial attempt to impose martial law in December. Legal experts predict the court will likely uphold the impeachment next month, fueling a desperate disinformation campaign by Yoon’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) and his supporters to discredit Judge Moon and undermine the legitimacy of the impending decision.
The most egregious of these false claims involved a manipulated image purporting to show Moon commenting on child pornography. The PPP amplified this fabricated evidence, demanding Moon’s resignation. However, the image was debunked by AFP, revealing that a sexually graphic image had been attached to an unrelated comment Moon made on a high school alumni forum. Although the PPP retracted the accusation and issued an apology, the damage was done. Yoon’s supporters continued to brandish signs labeling Moon a "porn judge" outside the impeachment hearings. The fabricated image spawned further disinformation, including a fake news report falsely attributing a dismissive comment about the allegations to opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.
Beyond the child pornography smear campaign, the disinformation campaign against Judge Moon extended to false accusations of communist affiliations. Doctored images circulated online, purportedly showing Moon speaking in front of a Chinese flag. AFP confirmed that the flag in the original image was South Korean and had been digitally altered. Similarly, a social media post by Elon Musk condemning a "corrupt judge" was falsely attributed to Moon. Senior PPP official Kwon Seong-dong further fueled the disinformation fire with unsubstantiated claims about close ties between Moon and the opposition leader, even alleging Moon attended the funeral of Lee’s mother. Despite the court’s denial and subsequent evidence to the contrary, Kwon refused to apologize, simply claiming he "must have heard wrong."
This orchestrated disinformation campaign underscores a broader strategy to undermine South Korea’s democratic institutions, particularly in anticipation of the snap elections that must be held within 60 days of Yoon’s formal removal. Analysts believe the PPP aims to delegitimize the impeachment process and sow distrust in the judiciary, thereby mitigating the political fallout from Yoon’s potential ouster. Professor Bai Byoung-inn of Kookmin University suggests the PPP is waging a "war of opinions" to delay the trial and influence public perception. However, the escalating extremism of Yoon’s supporters has seemingly pushed the disinformation campaign beyond the PPP’s control, further polarizing the political landscape.
The increasingly rightward shift within the PPP, fueled by Yoon’s staunch supporters, has made it difficult for the party to distance itself from his controversial actions. This polarization, driven by the relentless disinformation campaign, poses a serious threat to the integrity of South Korea’s democratic processes. Despite the gravity of the false accusations and their potential impact on his reputation and career, Judge Moon has refrained from taking legal action against those spreading the disinformation.
The Constitutional Court has also largely refrained from commenting on the specific allegations, emphasizing that its decisions are based on the constitution and laws, not the personal biases of its justices. The court expressed concerns about the damage these politically motivated attacks inflict on the judiciary’s authority and the integrity of the impeachment trial. The court underscored that the ongoing disinformation campaign aims to distort the nature of the impeachment proceedings and undermine public trust in the judicial process. The court’s response highlights the critical need to combat disinformation and protect the integrity of democratic institutions in an increasingly polarized political environment.