Jo Gab-je, President of 'Chogabje.com', poses for a commemorative photo with Lee Jae-myung at a press luncheon at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul on July 11 last year. From left: Jung Gyu-jae, former editorial writer for The Korea Economic Daily; Lee Jae-myung; Jo Gab-je, President of 'Chogabje.com'; and Lee Gyu-yeon, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Relations and Communication. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Jo Gab-je has long been respected as a senior commentator within conservative circles. However, his recent writings on the 'Han Dong-hoon party member bulletin board incident' go beyond mere criticism, demonstrating a chain of assertions and stigmatization that overstep legal and factual boundaries. 

The author, who had intended to remain quiet, felt compelled to pick up his pen again upon encountering Jo Gab-je's article on New Year's Day. 

Assertion that "Election fraud is a preposterous conspiracy theory."

"The theory of election fraud is a preposterous conspiracy theory." 

This statement is not a judgment of fact or truth, but a value judgment. The problem lies in Jo Gab-je's definitive assertion of this as a conclusion of verification. 

The fairness of elections is a matter that can be raised and must be verified in a democratic country. 

Statistical disparities between early voting and election day voting, and controversies surrounding the transparency of the election commission's operations are indeed issues that have been raised in public discourse. Nevertheless, to dismiss these wholesale as "preposterous" is an act of refusing verification, not refutation. 

Please ask an expert whether it is truly possible for Lee Jae-myung to have won with 49.42% of the vote, having received 58.11% in early voting and 44.27% on election day, trailing Kim Moon-soo in the latter but leading by 24.87 percentage points in early voting. 

We hope that Jo Gab-je will take responsibility for this article with a resolute spirit once the ROK-US joint election fraud is officially revealed.

'Delusional' characterization of Lee Ho-sun, Chairman of the People Power Party's Party Audit Committee

"Lee Ho-sun is not a scholar pursuing truth and facts, but a conspiracy theorist with delusional instincts, who has fallen for the election fraud conspiracy theory."

This statement presents an even more serious problem. 

'Delusion' is a medical and psychopathological term, and an expression that attacks an individual's mental state, going beyond academic differences of opinion. This is not argumentation but verbal abuse and defamation, clearly exceeding the scope of criticism permissible in public discourse. 

If you disagree, you should refute the errors in the argument; no one has the authority to define a person as 'delusional'.

Misinterpretation and Abuse of the Legal Concept of "Crime, Therefore Sanction"

"(Lee Ho-sun) is a criminal who spreads lies that destroy the community and must be sanctioned." "(The appointment of election fraud theorist Lee Ho-sun as Chairman of the Party Audit Committee, giving him power, is a criminal act)."

Here, Jo Gab-je invokes the concept of criminal offense under criminal law without a judicial determination. However, we must ask: which provision of which law has been violated?

Where are the investigations, indictments, and judgments? These statements fall within the realm of freedom of expression. The moment factual claims based on law are defined as 'crimes,' it becomes not criticism but a malicious threat. Conversely, isn't Han Dong-hoon himself a criminal who violated party rules with his critical post on the party bulletin board and thus subject to sanctions?

People Power Party floor leader Jang Dong-hyuk emphasizes "personnel reform is the most important reform for party renewal" at a press conference at the National Assembly on December 2 last year, regarding demands for an apology for the "December 3 emergency decree" within the party. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Declaration of 'Fact Collapse' Regarding the Party Member Bulletin Board Incident

"The party member bulletin board incident related to Han Dong-hoon is facing refutation that it was a fabrication, presenting a post written by someone with the same name as Han Dong-hoon as if written by his father-in-law, thus its factual basis is collapsing."

However, Han Dong-hoon's side later issued a clarification implying that the post was indeed written by a family member. This means that while the facts are matters to be determined through investigation and inquiry, Jo Gab-je, as a journalist, preemptively declared it a fabrication and an exoneration.

This is not sound criticism but commentary defending falsehoods. Is this because Han Dong-hoon is also a proponent of election fraud conspiracy theories? Or has he been bought off early by figures like Lee Hye-hoon, as with Lee Jae-myung?

Abuse of Power Akin to Political Blackmail

"If CEO Jang Dong-hyuk does not dismiss Lee Ho-sun, this will escalate into a 'manipulated audit by Lee Ho-sun,' leading to numerous political casualties, and Jang Dong-hyuk will not escape unscathed."

This statement is not an analysis but pressure, and it contains not a warning but politically threatening, abusive language. For a journalist to push for a party's internal decision in such a manner goes far beyond the role of public discourse. 

Extreme Stigmatization of "Yoon-er-gain Faction as a Traitorous Group"

"The Yoon-er-gain faction is a group of traitors following Yoon Suk-yeol, a great traitor and ringleader of a private coup d'état. Simply put, they are a traitorous group, or more concisely, traitors."

'Treason' and 'rebellion' are terms with extremely strict legal definitions specified in the Criminal Code and the Constitution. Applying these to an entire group of citizens with a specific political stance, without judicial judgment, is a serious misuse and abuse of legal concepts and is not the language of democracy. 

We suggest that Jo Gab-je consider whether it is not the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung faction that is actually engaging in rebellion and a coup d'état.

The Problem of the 'Fanaticism/Cult' Frame

"This fanatical force... seeks to establish an eternal stronghold for a far-right, cultish, traitorous group with Yoon Suk-yeol as their cult leader."

This is not an explanation but a stigmatization. The moment political claims and support are reduced to religious fanaticism, the debate ends, and only exclusion remains. 

Are the "Gae-tal" (supporters of Lee Jae-myung) and "Han-tal" (supporters of Han Dong-hoon) not fanatics? Are the extreme leftist cults not traitorous groups? Do presidents commit treason and incite rebellion?

We urge Jo Gab-je to deeply consider whether it is not Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jae-myung who have colluded to incite rebellion. 

"There is no neutrality," a Denial of Democracy

"Patriotism or treason, there is no neutrality."

However, the core of democracy lies precisely in the right to doubt, the right to maintain a neutral stance, and the right to demand verification. Language that denies this is not the language of patriotism but rather the language of totalitarianism. 

Hasn't it already been revealed who committed treason? Is Jo Gab-je a prisoner living in Plato's cave, with his eyes and ears closed to the outside world?

Conclusion

The core problem in Jo Gab-je's commentary, as revealed in this article, is clear. The former prominent journalist has failed to distinguish between fact and opinion, used legal concepts as tools for political attack, and suppressed opposing views by labeling them 'crime, treason, and delusion'.

This is not strong advocacy but dangerous verbal abuse and sociopathic cognitive dissonance. 

The ones who should be criticized are not citizens questioning election fairness, but the attitude that attempts to silence such questions with stigmatization. Jo Gab-je's writing has, first and foremost, exceeded the bounds of responsibility for facts, law, and language as a journalist. 

The author urges Chairman Lee Ho-sun and CEO Jang Dong-hyuk to pursue legal action against Jo Gab-je for verbal abuse, defamation, and other charges. 

Furthermore, with this article, Jo Gab-je has left tangible evidence for history and future generations as a more opportunistic, malicious keyboard warrior, verbal abuser, and traitor than Lee Hye-hoon and Han Dong-hoon. 

His writings are so full of cognitive errors and misjudgments that one suspects they may have been intentionally written in reverse.

It is the Year of the Wood Horse, and we anticipate that the most detestable and wicked traitors, the proponents of the election fraud conspiracy theory, will face a miserable end in the new year.

January 1, 2026

From Sydney, Australia

Shin Sook-hee (PhD in TESOL & Mental Health Professional)

The following is the original text of Jo Gab-je's article.

It is problematic when scholars and journalists, whose mission is to pursue truth and facts, fall for the preposterous conspiracy theory of election fraud, but it is a crime to spread lies that destroy the community using the professions of professor and journalist, and they must be sanctioned. 

It is a criminal act for CEO Jang Dong-hyuk, who has a duty to impose sanctions, to appoint Professor Lee Ho-sun of Kookmin University, a proponent of election fraud theories, as Chairman of the Party Audit Committee, giving him power. The incident involving Han Dong-hoon related to the party member bulletin board, which Lee Ho-sun announced according to the delusional nature of a conspiracy theorist, is facing a strong refutation that it was a fabrication and announcement that a post written by someone with the same name as Han Dong-hoon, which was abusive, was written by Han Dong-hoon's father-in-law, thus its factual basis is collapsing. 

If Jang Dong-hyuk does not dismiss Lee Ho-sun at this stage, the incident will escalate into 'Lee Ho-sun's manipulated audit,' and further, into 'the Lee Ho-sun derailment of the People Power Party train,' resulting in numerous political casualties, and Jang Dong-hyuk will not escape unscathed. 

Jang Dong-hyuk's intention in appointing a member of the Yoon-er-gain faction, who believes in election fraud conspiracy theories, as Chairman of the Party Audit Committee is likely to nominate many Yoon-er-gain figures as local election candidates. 

The Yoon-er-gain faction is a group of traitors following Yoon Suk-yeol, a great traitor and ringleader of a private coup d'état. Simply put, they are a traitorous group, or more concisely, traitors. 

This fanatical force, through Lee Ho-sun, intends to eliminate the faction led by Han Dong-hoon, who was at the forefront of suppressing the private coup, seize control of the People Power Party, and establish an eternal stronghold for a far-right, cultish, traitorous group with Yoon Suk-yeol as their cult leader. 

Since the 'Lee Ho-sun incident' has confirmed that a traitorous group denying the Constitution and facts is seizing control of the People Power Party, the members and delegates of the People Power Party must make a decision. Patriotism or treason? Are you on Yoon Suk-yeol's side or the Republic of Korea's side? There is no neutrality! 

— Jo Gab-je —

◆ Representative Shin Sook-hee

Co-representative, International Freedom Sovereignty Alliance

Overseas Korean Representative in Australia

PhD in TESOL, University of Sydney