Western Media Fails June 3 Korean Election: Oversimplified, Superficial, and Distorted Coverage서구 언론, 빛의 혁명과 6월 3일 한국 대선 보도 실패. 빛의 혁명: 독재에 맞서고, 주권을 지키다.

Western reports ignore the extraordinary mass mobilization of Koreans who resisted Yoon’s far-right authoritarianism—and the enabling role of a U.S.-backed militaristic environment.

Simone Chun

South Koreans will head to the polls Tuesday to elect a new president—two years ahead of schedule—following the historic impeachment and removal of Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Yet Western media coverage of this pivotal election has been dismal: dominated by oversimplified “what-you-need-to-know” briefings, superficial commentary, and distorted narratives. Crucially, much of it overlooks two key realities: the extraordinary mass mobilization of Koreans who resisted Yoon’s far-right authoritarianism, and the enabling role of a U.S.-backed militaristic environment.

In the winter of 2024, as the world looked away, South Korea stood on the edge of authoritarian collapse. President Yoon Suk-yeol, facing mass dissent over his militarist policies and anti-democratic maneuvers, declared martial law on December 3. Protest was criminalized, political opponents were surveilled or jailed, and media outlets were muzzled. What followed, however, was not submission—but resistance.

Over the next 124 days, the Korean people led one of the largest and most disciplined pro-democracy movements in modern history. More than 10 million citizens participated in the Revolution of Lights, mobilizing each week through mass rallies, general strikes, cultural performances, and mutual aid networks. By April 2025, the movement had forced the National Assembly to impeach Yoon and the Constitutional Court to uphold that decision. On June 3, Koreans head to the polls to elect a new president. And yet, beyond Korea, the story remains largely untold.

That silence is no accident. It reflects the uncomfortable reality that the United States—South Korea’s longtime ally—was complicit in enabling the very repression Koreans rose against.

A Coup Enabled by the U.S.

President Yoon’s attempt to impose martial law was not a rogue act—it was part of a broader authoritarian drift backed by powerful far-right forces and tacitly supported by Washington. For years, Yoon’s administration received unwavering military and diplomatic support from the U.S., despite repeated warnings about his erosion of civil liberties and concentration of power.

When Yoon declared martial law, the U.S. did not condemn the move. Instead, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Seoul just as Korea’s Special Prosecutor moved to indict Yoon for abuse of power, raising suspicions of political interference. Throughout the crisis, U.S. officials called for "stability," not democracy—code for preserving the status quo of militarized cooperation against China and North Korea.

Even after Yoon’s impeachment, U.S. policymakers avoided acknowledging the movement’s democratic character. Instead, they intensified joint military drills on the peninsula—the largest since the Cold War—heightening tensions and undermining Korean calls for peace.

Now, far-right groups from the United States have arrived in Seoul under the false banner of an “election monitoring delegation.” These groups are actively spreading disinformation, stoking division, and meddling in Korea’s democratic process—all in pursuit of Washington’s strategic agenda to provoke conflict in Northeast Asia.

Already, these groups are preemptively casting doubt on the election’s legitimacy, laying the groundwork for far-right violence and civic unrest. Their goal appears clear: to destabilize the next administration and pave the way for another pro-war, pro-Cold War regime aligned with U.S. neoconservative interests. Their presence is not only illegitimate—it is dangerous.

Korea’s Long Struggle For Sovereignty

The Revolution of Lights did not come out of nowhere. It belongs to a long genealogy of resistance in Korea, from the 1919 March 1st anti-colonial uprising to the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, and the 2016 Candlelight Revolution that impeached former President Park Geun-hye. In every generation, Koreans have risen to defend democracy—often in defiance of foreign powers.

Yet their struggles are consistently misrepresented or erased, especially when they challenge U.S. interests. When Koreans demand peace with North Korea, they are dismissed as naïve. When they resist U.S.-backed strongmen, they are ignored. This pattern reflects a broader problem in U.S. foreign policy: democracy is treated as a tool of convenience, not a universal principle.

A Call for Solidarity

The Korean people’s victory is not just a national triumph—it is a global inspiration. At a time when democracy is under assault around the world, Koreans have shown that mass mobilization, disciplined nonviolence, and cross-class solidarity can defeat even the most entrenched authoritarian threats.

Progressives in the U.S. and beyond must honor that struggle—not only by telling the truth about what happened, but by rethinking the policies that enabled the repression. That means opposing endless war games, standing against militarism, and ending support for far-right regimes cloaked in the rhetoric of “security.”

History is being written in Korea, not by generals or presidents, but by millions of ordinary people who lit up the streets in defiance of darkness. It’s time we paid attention—and took their side.

Western reports ignore the extraordinary mass mobilization of Koreans who resisted Yoon’s far-right authoritarianism—and the enabling role of a U.S.-backed militaristic environment.

Korea’s Revolution of Lights: A Historic Stand Against U.S.-Backed Repression

TiMELINE:

December 3, 2024: Far-right President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, triggering mass public outrage.

April 4, 2025: The Constitutional Court upheld the National Assembly’s impeachment, officially removing Yoon from office.

December 3 – April 3: Over 4 million Koreans participated in protests, defending democracy and opposing authoritarian rule.

June 3, 2025: The presidential election to choose the 21st President of the Republic of Korea will be held.

THE MAKING OF Of KOREA"S REVOLUTION OF LIGHTS:

What the Western Press Ignores:

The extraordinary Korean uprising against far-right authoritarianism—and Washington’s complicity in fueling militarism and unrest.

In just 124 days, over 10 million people marched peacefully across South Korea.

1st mass march: Over 1 million citizens joined.

2nd mass march (after failed impeachment vote): 2 million participants.

1 million marched again during delays in the Constitutional Court’s decision.

Weekly protests: Drew between 200,000 and 500,000 people each week.

Protesters delivered 1,000+ speeches, walked 145 kilometers, and organized 220+ performances.

1,000+ volunteers supported the movement from the first protest onward.

166 sign language interpreters ensured accessibility at nearly every event.

The Health Rights Coalition mobilized 2,000 medical professionals to staff on-site medical booths.

Protesters endured hypothermia, exhaustion, and pain during overnight rallies—but never gave up.

The Lawyers for a Democratic Society Human Rights Monitoring Team, backed by 1,000 lawyers, defended democratic rights, opposed far-right interference, and challenged police repression.

Citizens provided essential supplies: food trucks, heating trucks, hot packs, water, toiletries, menstrual products, medicines, and more.

Local shops and religious centers offered restrooms and shelter, creating a grassroots network of care and solidarity.

Over 1.5 million citizens joined the movement both online and offline, expanding its reach beyond physical protests.

National Assembly Petition for impeachment and coup investigation (Dec 4–Jan 3): 400,287 participants.

Citizen Opinions submitted to the Constitutional Court (Feb 17): 45,289 submissions.

“72-Hour Emergency Petition” (Mar 30–Apr 1): 1,000,026 online participants in just three days.

Events included commemorative walls, reusable protest signs, “Vote for the Worst Coup Collaborator” campaigns, citizens’ trials, gallery exhibitions, acrostic poems calling to disband the ruling party, solidarity fasts, street lectures, and book drives.

Over 20,000 ribbons expressing support and solidarity for impeachment decorated the People’s Square, symbolizing collective hope and resistance.

Labor unions played a central role in organizing, sustaining, and protecting the protest movement.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) led mass rallies and nationwide strikes, denouncing Yoon’s anti-labor policies and rising economic inequality.

In February 2025, the KCTU launched a general strike involving over 500,000 workers across key industries, protesting Yoon’s rollback of labor protections and crackdown on unions.

The alliance between labor unions and pro-democracy protesters strengthened the movement’s legitimacy and expanded its support base.

Farmers mobilized against Yoon’s pro-corporate agricultural reforms, which threatened rural livelihoods and food sovereignty.

Irregular workers, who endure precarious and unstable jobs, led labor strikes and sit-ins, amplifying voices often excluded from national debates.

The movement attracted broad cross-sector support, with active participation from youth, women’s rights groups, and the middle class.

Labor unions were essential to organizing and sustaining the mass protests.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) led large-scale rallies and national strikes, condemning Yoon’s anti-labor agenda and rising economic inequality.

In February 2025, KCTU launched a general strike of 500,000+ workers across key industries to oppose the dismantling of labor protections and union repression.

The labor-democracy alliance broadened the movement’s reach and legitimacy, uniting workplace struggles with democratic demands.

Farmers mobilized against Yoon’s corporate-driven agricultural policies, which endangered rural livelihoods.

Irregular and precarious workers organized strikes and sit-ins, highlighting Korea’s widening labor divide.

The protests gained momentum as young people, women’s groups, and the middle class joined in solidarity.

Protests were held nationwide, not just in Seoul:

Seoul: 67 protests Busan: 50 protests Ulsan: 52 protests Jeju: 29 protests

Between December 3 and April 5, there were over 1,800 protests in 100+ locations across South Korea.

Overseas solidarity protests took place in major cities worldwide, including:

Europe: Frankfurt, Bochum, Stuttgart, Munich, Paris, London Asia: Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka North America: New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City Oceania: Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland

These global protests showed the transnational reach and diaspora solidarity of the movement.

Korea’s Revolution Of Light: Resisting Dictatorship, Defending Sovereignty
The Zoom link to the session:
웨비나, 서부시각 오전 10시 30분, 시몬천 정치학 박사

빛의 혁명: 독재에 맞서고, 주권을 지키다

줌 미팅