The press conference on South Korea’s election administration, held on June 26 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., served as a signal for a “Second Incheon Landing Operation” to defend liberal democracy. As exposed in the book *Claws of the Panda*, massive election interference and influence operations by foreign powers have been carried out with great sophistication for a long time in places such as Canada, Australia, and Taiwan. In particular, according to analyses by diplomatic and security experts—including former Ambassador Morse Tan, who attended this press conference—vulnerabilities in computerized election equipment and systems were exposed during efforts to support Third World countries, and it was pointed out that this could serve as a risk factor affecting global election governance as a whole. Concerned patriotic citizens are taking a sober look at the fact that the structural loopholes and digital security vulnerabilities inherent in the computerization of election administration—which have accumulated over the past several decades—have become key factors causing seismic shifts in every major election cycle in recent years. What deserves even greater attention is the fact that, as revealed at this Washington press conference, the mechanisms threatening South Korea’s constitutional order and democratic values are not the work of a single force, but rather a complex web involving a global cartel, major communist powers, North Korea’s asymmetric threats, and even ideological forces within certain sectors of the Western world. The current manifestations of this sophisticated hybrid warfare unfolding around the Korean Peninsula are reminiscent of the intense international frontlines during the Korean War.
In the short span of less than a month since the change in administration, South Korean society stands at a crossroads of rapid systemic transformation, marked by the introduction of countless bills and institutional reforms. Just as attempts by past administrations to amend the constitution—seeking to change the subject of fundamental rights from “citizens” to “people”—sparked controversy, recent political developments show a trend toward broadly interpreting the scope of sovereignty to include the comprehensive concept of “citizens,” with the aim of gradually granting foreign residents in the country not only the right to vote but also the right to run for office. Furthermore, concerns have been raised that the “poison pill” provisions in certain agricultural support bills could be exploited as a conduit for the influx of foreign populations. Additionally, witnessing the phenomenon of the “Jubilee Bank” model—a debt forgiveness initiative promoted by a specific local government official during their tenure—being fully expanded to the national fiscal level, there is deep concern for the lives of ordinary citizens who will be left defenseless in the face of this massive policy storm. The problem is that the general public does not clearly recognize the long-term side effects that such macro-fiscal shifts will bring—namely, the contraction of the domestic production base and the risk of a sharp spike in long-term household loan interest rates hidden behind short-term debt deferrals. In fact, I recently witnessed firsthand the voices of ordinary neighbors venting their frustration after missing out on opportunities to purchase homes due to the surprise announcement of stricter real estate lending regulations made just one day before they took effect. This experience allowed me to keenly feel the painful impact that government policies have on people’s livelihoods.
Some critics argue that the price paid for neglecting vulnerabilities in international electoral governance or aligning with the interests of a specific political cartel is ultimately being borne in full through the adverse effects of these unreasonable bills and macroeconomic policies. While financial regulations on our own citizens are tightening on all fronts, reports that certain foreign capital is receiving extraordinary financing from domestic financial institutions to aggressively purchase key real estate and assets through local subsidiaries demonstrate that this nation’s economic sovereignty is being silently eroded. In fact, at a gathering of the Fair Election Campaign, I happened to meet a couple of immigrants who vividly recounted how Hong Kong was once taken over by massive capital and institutional pressure. Hearing their account, I was overcome by a grave sense of crisis that the pace of systemic change in South Korea might be much faster than anticipated. According to the testimony of this couple—who had lived in Hong Kong for a long time before recently returning permanently to Incheon—the methods of foreign control were extremely meticulous: by suddenly revising the National Security Act, they completely subdued figures in the pro-democracy camp, polarized public opinion, and established a system of mutual surveillance among citizens, thereby gaining complete control over society as a whole. This brings to mind the historical tragedy of the Silla Kingdom, which, after allying with the foreign Tang Dynasty to destroy Baekje and Goguryeo, saw its vast northern territories in Manchuria completely fall into foreign hands, leaving the people there to lose their homes.
What is most regrettable is that, despite the countless examples of irregularities in election administration and evidence of statistical contradictions, the majority of the public remains silent. Representative Kim Mi-young’s insight—that “this is due to the absence of true political power and authority capable of organizing and channeling the people’s righteous anger”—accurately pinpoints this harsh reality. The voices in the public square crying out for the truth are fragmented; the number of intellectuals stepping forward to act justly is small; and the intellectual community, which should be spreading the true spirit of the times, remains silent. Because the public no longer reads printed text, they are forgetting how to think for themselves; because they disregard the value of productive labor, they do not know how to act; and because they do not document events, the truth of history is being lost. Paradoxically, the rapid advancement of AI technology is weakening humanity’s unique capacity for critical thinking, while established intellectuals are compromising with the powerful cartels to spread distorted logic throughout the public sphere. Furthermore, even Christians—who, like the “salt of the earth,” should be the 3.5% preventing societal corruption—are falling prey to materialism and spiritual apathy. It seems that, due to biased ideological leadership that has infiltrated church communities, believers are losing the light of truth they ought to be shining.
Nevertheless, Victor Frankl’s book *Man’s Search for Meaning*, which I recently read in depth, cast a powerful ray of hope, showing that humans can find the eternal meaning of life even in the most extreme circumstances. Reading the author’s solemn confession—how he refused to abandon his humanity and continued to define the meaning of his existence even within the horrific Auschwitz concentration camp, where human dignity was completely stripped away and physical and mental degradation were inflicted—I found myself deeply reflecting on the question: “What attitude should I maintain amid the upheavals of this era?” Paradoxically, the fact that those who discovered the small meanings and callings they had to embrace in every moment—even while standing in the midst of the harsh reality of the concentration camp—survived to the very end, whereas those who merely avoided reality by waiting for a vague date of liberation did not, provides us today with a tremendous spiritual awakening.
This resonates precisely with my own personal journey a few years ago, when—even while working in the grueling physical labor of package delivery—I never gave in to frustration or settled for the status quo. Instead, I sought ways to improve the process, carved out time each day to listen to audiobooks, and accumulated knowledge, thereby completely transforming the horizons of my life. Therefore, I will never be deceived by the false propaganda of the vast system that claims “a life of conformity within a prison camp is actually safe and comfortable,” and I resolutely vow not to become a helpless prisoner completely tamed by the environment of a spiritual prison camp. Today, too, I woke up early at dawn to gaze at the brilliant sun rising in the east, and in the evening, as I watched the sunset paint the sky majestically beyond the Incheon Bridge, I faithfully completed my daily parcel collection duties. And to willingly join the sacred ranks defending the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea and participating in the “Second Incheon Landing Operation,” I made my way after work to the “Freedom and Innovation” Incheon Party Founding Convention. There, I exchanged a warm handshake with Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn and engraved in my heart his message of encouragement and solidarity that awakens our era. As a vigilant sentinel, my archery (at work) and my writing will never cease.
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