Guest Columnist. Korea Military Academy Class of '84   The allegations of election fraud that have been continuously raised have moved beyond suspicion and conspiracy theories, and the world now knows about the fraudulent elections in South Korea. This is escalating into a severe social conflict that shakes the foundation of South Korea's democracy. Distrust in election results and election fraud inflict a deep sense of powerlessness upon the sovereign citizens, a dangerous signal that could lead to the collapse of trust in society as a whole and the judicial system.

A society where citizens cannot trust the exercise of their sovereignty, and where suspicion abounds that a few planners and opaque systems can dictate election outcomes, cannot be considered healthy. The issue of distrust in elections is no longer a subject of political debate but a critical national task that must be resolved for the future of South Korea.

For those who still dismiss or ignore these suspicions as conspiracy theories, I wish to explain why many citizens are raising fundamental questions about the election system, using a familiar analogy of a 'popular sundae restaurant'.

1. The First Reason for Distrust: A Black Box Manipulating Statistics

There is a famous sundae restaurant. Upon examining this restaurant's sales ledger, something peculiar was discovered. Sales on certain weekdays are consistently higher than on weekends, despite higher foot traffic. Although the total sales vary daily, the sales ratio between 'Sundae Platter' and 'Sundae Soup' remains fixed at 63:36 every single day. When asked about this phenomenon, which is difficult to understand intuitively, the owner repeatedly says, "That's just how it is." Would you trust this restaurant's sales figures?

This is the first reason why citizens question election results. In recent major elections, the Democratic Party achieved overwhelming victories in 'advance voting' across numerous polling stations nationwide with diverse voting tendencies, and the vote percentages for each candidate showed a remarkably consistent pattern. It is difficult to believe that public sentiment dramatically changed between advance voting and the main election, which were held days apart. Such statistical anomalies are less likely to be natural phenomena and more likely to raise reasonable suspicion that election data may have been influenced by artificial manipulation rather than being recorded as is in a black box.

As a solution, I propose the introduction of a 'Public Proof Voting System,' where all voting processes are encrypted and recorded on a blockchain. If voters can directly verify through their smartphones whether their votes were accurately recorded and tallied, the National Election Commission would no longer need to plead for trust; the system itself could prove transparency.

2. The Second Reason for Distrust: A Black Box That Is Turned Off

Let's return to the sundae restaurant. To uncover the secret behind the 63:36 sales ratio, we requested to view the kitchen CCTV, but the owner refused, citing "disclosure of secret ingredients." We then asked to check what customers ordered through the CCTV in the dining area, but were again refused, this time citing "protection of customer privacy." When all avenues for verification are blocked, suspicion inevitably turns into certainty.

This is an analogy for the lack of transparency in the election process. CCTV footage from advance polling stations and ballot box storage locations is not being properly disclosed. This is akin to a black box that is turned off. To restore even minimal trust, a 'Citizen Surveillance Platform' that allows citizens to monitor advance polling stations and ballot box storage areas 24 hours a day must be immediately implemented.

The fact that the electoral registry and scanned ballot data from servers can be directly compared through forensics to determine election fraud, yet the servers are not being disclosed, only amplifies suspicions of fraudulent elections. If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason to conceal it. This is sufficient to create the impression that "the National Election Commission is hiding something."

3. The Third Reason for Distrust: An Unverifiable Black Hole System

When asked why the total amount on the receipts differed from the actual sales, the sundae restaurant owner replied, "We calculated it with our shop's special calculator (electronic counting machine). The operating principle is a trade secret, but the results are accurate, so please trust us." Would you believe this statement and pay your bill?

This is precisely the distrust in 'electronic counting machines' and the computer system. Citizens have no way of knowing or verifying how their precious votes are classified and tallied by what algorithms, or if there are any possibilities for errors or external interference in the process. They are forced to trust that "the National Election Commission is absolutely safe" based solely on their word, even though systems that the National Intelligence Service itself has warned about the "possibility of hacking and manipulation" are in use. This is evidence that the National Election Commission has transformed into a black hole with such strong gravity that not even light can escape. The black hole system, which refuses to transparently disclose and be verified for all sorts of data, is the biggest cause of escalating distrust.

4. A Proposal for Restoring Trust: Black Holes Explode and Disappear

While election digital technology is convenient, it can devolve into election fraud if transparency is not guaranteed. The disappearance of democracy and justice due to election fraud, and the severe trauma experienced by the majority of citizens due to the collapse of national systems, is escalating beyond anger into a state where living with a clear mind is impossible. When the limit is reached, the explosive force will be beyond imagination. Even a black hole with such strong gravity that not even light can escape ultimately evaporates its energy and disappears from the universe in an explosion.

Citizens will no longer be deceived by fraudulent elections that have lost fairness. Before the current unfair and fraudulent elections, which have become a black hole, escalate into widespread public resistance, the political establishment and the National Election Commission must take the following immediate actions.

First, the controversial advance voting and overseas Korean postal voting systems, along with the sorting machines (counting machines), must be abolished, and fundamental surgery must be performed, including a complete manual count. Second, the entire counting process must be transparently disclosed for real-time monitoring by anyone. Third, past election data that has raised suspicions must be verified through transparent procedures, and the 'election invalidation lawsuits' and 'winning invalidation lawsuits' related to the 21st and 22nd general elections, as well as requests for evidence preservation, must undergo server forensics and recounts.

The government and the ruling party must immediately respond to the public's demand for improvements to the election system, which should be transparent, fair, and verifiable by all citizens.