“If you vote, you are a communist” : pro-Yoon far-right refuse to vote in 2025 presidential election because of “election fraud” conspiracy theory

The conspiracy theory about election fraud is once again gaining traction, this time triggered by former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s attendance at a film screening about alleged election rigging. Among his fervent supporters, some are even calling for a boycott of the presidential election, prompting frustration within the People Power Party. Members are questioning whose campaign Yoon is actually helping.

Cheers erupted from hardcore supporters as former President Yoon entered the theater. His reason for visiting a cinema in Seoul was to watch a newly released film centered on so-called “election fraud.”

The film, directed by PD Lee Young-don, claims that there was election fraud in the general elections five years ago.

This conspiracy theory has now spread to the upcoming presidential election, which is just 12 days away.

Promotional material for the film boldly states, “June 3 will be a rigged election.” Director Lee has also called for abolishing early voting.

[Lee Young-don / PD (Yesterday): “Future elections must be counted manually, and early voting should be abolished…”]

Shockingly, right after Yoon watched the film, some of his radical supporters began arguing that people should not vote at all. Claims have emerged such as, “Boycotting the vote is a way to protest election fraud,” and even more extreme comments like, “Anyone who goes to vote is a commie.”

[Jeon Han-gil / Former Korean history lecturer (April 18): “We must boycott the presidential election on June 3. There’s no need to vote!”]

Such rhetoric is now causing internal turmoil. It’s being interpreted as undermining the candidacy of Kim Moon-soo, the current presidential candidate backed by the People Power Party, and party members are growing furious.

Kim Geun-sik, head of the People Power Party’s Songpa-byeong district in Seoul, strongly criticized Yoon, accusing him of inciting delusional claims about election fraud and stating that he should be arrested again.

Meanwhile, the National Election Commission (NEC) issued a statement regarding Yoon’s movie attendance, expressing “deep concern and regret,” noting that the film “contains negative and provocative content that fuels conspiracy theories about election fraud.”