The recent anomalies on the Korean web portal Daum during the Asian Games demonstrate that overseas interference in domestic public opinion is a reality. During the South Korea-China football quarterfinal match, the ratio of clicks cheering for China on Daum was 91%, while it was only 9% for South Korea. On Naver, the number of clicks favoring South Korea was 94%, compared to 6% for China. This manipulation was particularly pronounced on Daum, which is known for its left-leaning tendencies.
Unlike Naver, Daum did not require users to sign in to click the cheer button, and there was no limit on the number of clicks that could be registered per user, so a small number of people could make it seem as if overall public sentiment during the match was in favor of China. This is a serious issue that raises concerns about public opinion manipulation on the internet before the upcoming general elections.
Experts suggest that automated clicking systems were likely activated abroad targeting Daum’s cheering feature. Those responsible and their motives must be investigated. This is not the first time attempts to manipulate public opinion have occurred – the “Druking” scandal in 2018 is an example. Before the 2017 presidential election, a Democratic Party of Korea member, nicknamed “Druking”, and his allies, including a lawmaker of the party, tried to influence public opinion through online comments and by increasing the number of recommendations of certain news stories using a repetitive clicking program.
The “Chinagate” scandal, which arose before the April 2020 general elections, revolved around a conspiracy theory that raised suspicions of Chinese interference in public opinion in the Free World. Daum and Naver said they blocked access from China, but it is known that they can be accessed from abroad using virtual private networks.
It is possible that certain groups based in China or North Korea may attempt to influence South Korea’s elections by spreading false information that incites anti-US and anti-Japanese sentiment in collaboration with pro-Chinese and pro-North Korean groups in South Korea. Therefore, the government, the prosecution, and the police must strengthen monitoring of false information, and violations must be penalized severely to eradicate opinion-rigging and demagogic politics.
The government has said that it will form a task force to devise measures to prevent public opinion manipulation, such as the Druking case, but the issue requires a revision of related laws. Currently, a bill requiring web portals to reveal the countries from which online comments are made and whether access is made through virtual private networks is pending in the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly.
The People Power Party has declared that it will seek to imprison or fine not only public opinion manipulators and their accomplices, but also portal businesses that neglect them. The majority opposition Democratic Party should cooperate with efforts to prevent public opinion manipulation, instead of using the issue for political gain during elections. In addition to the bill, the rival parties should consider requiring web portal users to write online comments in their real names.
With the general elections that will determine the future of the nation only half a year away, the government and the Assembly must work together to effectively block public opinion manipulation on the internet.