Left out of political discourse, young Koreans turn up the dial on conspiracy theories
After election turmoil, misinformation is spreading across social media as frustrated young adults seek answers outside mainstream political discourse.
Messages demanding a new election are displayed at a ticket booth near the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 10, as protests continue over the ballot shortage in Korea's 2026 local elections.NEWS1
Conspiracy theories that have repeatedly surfaced during periods of political and social turmoil are once again spreading in the wake of the ballot shortage in the June 3 local elections, and younger generations who feel marginalized by mainstream political discourse are falling down internet rabbit holes.
Confusion broke out around the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Wednesday, when some participants of protests condemning the voting fiasco spread claims that Chinese public security officers had disguised themselves as Korean police officers.
On social media, some users also posted photographs of individual protesters and circulated baseless rumors claiming that members of the Korean University Progressive Union were posing as infiltrators to sow division within the demonstrations.
Such conspiracy theories have also spread through short-form platforms popular among people in their 20s and 30s, including Instagram Reels, as well as online university communities such as Everytime.
What's happening at the Olympic Park?
Since the June 3 local election, the Olympic Park in Songpa District, southern Seoul, has become a site for protesters demanding a new election and raising concerns about the ballot paper shortage.
On June 3, Election Day for the 2026 local elections, a ballot paper shortage disrupted voting at a polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa District, southern Seoul.
Voting hours at the station were extended until 10 p.m., four hours past the scheduled closing time. The station's ballot box is currently being kept at the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park.
“It is no different from deliberately opening the door for foreign intelligence agencies or hackers to freely interfere in Korean elections,” an Everytime user wrote on an anonymous message board on Sunday.
Such conspiracy theories, however unfounded, can plant "seeds of suspicion."
"I often watched some political content on social media because I just thought it was part of political expression or just downright funny," said Shin, a 23-year-old university student. "But recently, so much conspiracy-related content about the election has been flooding social media that I've gradually started to think some of it could actually be true."
'Nonsense! But what if?'
As a growing number of politically engaged young people turn their attention to politics out of anger and frustration, conspiracy theories are increasingly being amplified across a wide range of issues, including education, housing and jobs.
One conspiracy theory, for instance, claimed that Seoul National University’s College of Medicine — one of the country's most prestigious medical schools — has a special admissions track for ethnic Chinese applicants. The claim gained traction, in part, because of widespread anti-Chinese sentiment in Korea.
“There was a special admissions track for ethnic Chinese applicants until 2021, and it was reportedly abolished under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration in 2022,” a social media user said.
Despite another user responding that it is "false propaganda that first emerged in 2021,” the claim continued to circulate on social media.
Even government financial policies have also become fodder for conspiracy theories. One YouTube Shorts video, for example, claimed that the government was using taxpayer money to repay gambling debts owed by Chinese nationals through its debt relief programs.
A social media post claiming that Seoul National University's College of Medicine has a special admissions track for ethnic Chinese applicants, left, and a YouTube Shorts video claiming that taxpayer money is being used to repay gambling debts owed by Chinese nationalsSCREEN CAPTURE
Profit-motivated conspiracy theories
But spreading conspiracy theories is not just about pushing a political narrative. For some, it has also become a lucrative business. Numerous cases have emerged in which conspiracy theories were promoted for financial gain.
A YouTuber with about 67,000 subscribers promoted conspiracy theories during a livestream covering a protest outside a vote-counting center on June 5, including claims that the Chinese Communist Party was manipulating public opinion.
On that day alone, the channel received about 5.6 million won ($3,660) in Super Chat donations, exceeding the previous month's total income of about 5.41 million won, according to YouTube analytics platform Playboard.
Another YouTuber who has 153,000 subscribers earned 23.54 million won in Super Chat donations over the past month. The creator has promoted conspiracy theories, such as claims that failure to comply with the national pension scheme will result in imprisonment.
Citizens chant slogans outside the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 7, demanding a new election over the ballot shortage in the June 3 local elections.WOO SANG-JO
A path for younger adult voices to be heard
While such conspiracy content targeting younger adults continues to be amplified and reproduced online, experts say that preventing the spread of conspiracy theories will require politicians and society to engage with younger generations and ensure that their voices are heard in healthy public forums rather than ignoring or excluding them.
The rapid spread of conspiracy theories among younger generations stems from the exclusion that young adults experience from public discourse, which leads them to gather in online communities where uncertain information is continuously reproduced and reinforced, according to experts.
“People in their 20s and 30s are digital natives who are accustomed to consuming short, attention-grabbing content, so some end up consuming conspiracy theories as just another form of content,” said Yu Hyun-jae, a professor in the College of Communication at Sogang University. "Rather than verifying whether something is true, they often enjoy unusual or provocative claims as a form of spectacle."
Shin Yul, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Myongji University, stressed the need to create a political communication channel for young adults.
“For a fundamental solution, young people's voices on social issues must be properly conveyed through political channels,” Shin said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
