The Save Korea Alliance International held a large-scale rally at Mel Lastman Square in North York, Toronto, Canada, calling for the eradication of election fraud and the implementation of same-day voting and manual counting. [Save Korea Alliance International]

Calls for domestic political reform and a complete overhaul of the electoral system are spreading to overseas Korean communities.

The Save Korea Alliance International (SKAI) held a massive rally on the 4th (local time) at Mel Lastman Square in North York, Toronto, Canada. The event included a declaration of support for the domestic "June 3rd Resistance," as well as a street march demanding a full re-election, the eradication of election fraud, and the adoption of same-day voting and manual vote counting.

The event was moderated by Lee Kyung-bok, head of the SKAI Canada chapter. Sheng Xue, Chair of the Federation for a Democratic China and Vice Chair of the Canadian Coalition against Communism (CCAC), served as a special speaker, emphasizing the importance of democracy.

Subtle Aggression Using Laws and Electoral Systems

Sheng Xue emphasized that modern aggression is not carried out solely with tanks and bullets, but that authoritarian regimes can destroy democracy from within by exploiting our own laws and electoral systems.

Sheng Xue (center) urges the South Korean public to "stay vigilant, monitor the government, demand transparency in the electoral system, and guard the polling stations." [Save Korea Alliance International]

She continued, "Hong Kong once enjoyed a powerful, independent judicial system and freedom of speech," adding, "Citizens elected leaders to represent them through legitimate elections." However, she denounced how Beijing has systematically dismantled these institutions step by step.

The strategy they used in the beginning was "silent population movement." Sheng noted that from 1983 to 1997, Beijing sent approximately 500,000 mainland Chinese immigrants to Hong Kong through a daily quota system. By quietly altering the structure of Hong Kong's voter base over several decades, Beijing was able to enforce the "National Security Law" in Hong Kong following the massive protests of 2019.

According to Sheng, "Only after destroying the rule of law did Beijing amend the election laws, pre-screen all candidates, and fill the legislature with its own supporters," describing it as "the moment Hong Kong's democracy was stifled."

Sheng warned, "South Korea is now facing a very similar threat," adding, "The threat to Korea is not in the future; it is happening right now. It is just that the tactics have become more sophisticated and covert."

She further stated, "South Korean intelligence agencies recently uncovered over 200 fake Korean-language news websites operated by Chinese public relations firms. They used the Korean language to spread fake news, incite hatred, and confuse young voters."

She also expressed concern that "South Korea grants local voting rights to certain foreign residents," noting that "there are over 100,000 Chinese-origin voters in Korea."

Sheng cautioned that "in closely contested local elections, such organized groups can become a hidden power that exerts immense influence on local politics."

Demanding Transparency in the Electoral System and Guarding Polling Stations

Furthermore, she stated, "The system errors and confusion that occurred in last month's local elections have made many young Koreans anxious," adding, "If young people give up on voting because they believe the election was rigged, the foundation of democracy will be lost."

The Save Korea Alliance International holds a street march at Mel Lastman Square in North York, Toronto, Canada. [Save Korea Alliance International]

Sheng emphasized that South Korea is not alone in experiencing this.

"We live in Canada, and official government investigations have clearly revealed that Beijing significantly interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. They provided funding to specific candidates, used social media to spread false information, and attacked politicians who criticized them. These things are happening in Canada, in Europe, and in South Korea."

Finally, Sheng urged the South Korean public, "Hong Kongers believed their system was safe, but in the end, they lost it. Stay vigilant, monitor the government, demand transparency in the electoral system, and guard the polling stations."

Following her speech, a "young democracy activist" who had been arrested and tortured by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong had the opportunity to briefly introduce their activities.

In addition, the Save Korea Alliance International read a "Declaration of Support for the June 3rd Resistance" and proclaimed that "this local election is void ab initio." The reason provided was "the lack of essential requirements for a legitimate election, namely, the proper identification of voters and candidates, the integrity of ballots, and the presence of oversight."

According to the declaration, "dismissing such an obvious illegal and fraudulent election—void from its inception—as mere 'administrative mismanagement' is nonsensical. The election must be invalidated, and a full re-election must be held."

They listed the following demands to be advocated and achieved through the June 3rd Resistance: 1) Abolish the early voting system and conduct voting only on a single day; 2) Ensure transparency by exclusively using manual counting at polling stations; 3) Conduct a full re-election based on same-day voting and on-site manual counting; 4) Launch a special investigation to identify and bring criminals and accomplices to justice; 5) Completely reform the current National Election Commission to the point of dissolution.

Meanwhile, the Save Korea Alliance International is a coalition of patriotic compatriots residing in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany. They have expressed their full support for the peaceful civic resistance movement (the June 3rd Resistance) recently led by young people in their 20s and 30s in South Korea regarding the June 3rd local elections.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee