Head referee Kim Jong-hyeok, a representative international referee for Korea. [Photo = K League]

The 2026 North, Central American and Caribbean World Cup is heating up the world.

However, in South Korea's political arena, a "game without standards or rules" is quietly underway. A warning signal is sounding for the fairness of politics.

Any soccer fan knows this.

One of the most despicable scenes on the field is 'Hollywood acting'.

Exaggerated gestures that provoke the referee's eyes by falling and rolling in agony with just a slight touch. Such plays are a foul strategy that undermines the spirit of sportsmanship and a theatrical performance that mocks the rules of the game.

This ultimately degrades the quality of soccer and drives spectators away from the stadium.

But there is an even more horrific scene.

It's when the referee suddenly blows the whistle and awards a penalty kick, while the player is protesting, in a situation where all spectators know it's Hollywood acting.

And when VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is requested to clarify the truth, the request is framed as a 'conspiracy theory,' and if the referee's fairness is questioned, a warning card is shown, stating, "You are denying the authority of the soccer world." At this point, it's no longer a sport or a stadium. It's merely a staged performance.

Today, we are witnessing the exact same scene on the field called democracy.

It is the arena of 'elections,' which should be a festival of democracy.

The foul play of Hollywood acting reminiscent of fraudulent elections is repeated everywhere. Reasonable doubts are raised about the voting results and statistical figures, but clear explanations from the authorities cannot be found anywhere.

Even at a glance, there are numerous examples: △ abnormally high vote percentages between early voting and general voting that cannot be statistically explained △ ballots with clear printing marks found during the recount process △ ballots where the seal is smudged, resembling a 'Japanese flag' △ ballots as crisp as new bills just out of the printing press, bundled together △ and even instances of one person casting fraudulent multiple votes.

All these circumstances lead to one question.

"Was this election game fair?"

However, the moment this question is raised, the National Election Commission, the media, and the judiciary, which should be acting as referees in this game, remain silent or turn a blind eye. Instead, they label those who raise issues as "disseminators of fake news" and "deniers of democracy."

Players who come forward to protect their rights are branded as 'crazy people' or 'conspiracy theorists,' and spectators who criticize wrong decisions are given 'red cards' for ejection.

There are no soccer fans left on a soccer field where fair play has collapsed. Similarly, there are no citizens who will have interest or affection for elections where fairness has collapsed. Democracy without its sovereign citizens is an oxymoron in itself.

Democratic elections are a fierce arena for competition to win the will of the people. For that competition to be valid, the fairness of the referees who prevent rampant fouls must be presupposed, and above all, voices demanding truth must be respected.

Now we ask.

Who are the ones who committed the real fouls in this democratic arena? Whose show are the manipulated Hollywood acts and staged foul plays for? Why are those who demand the truth branded as conspiracy theorists?

If it continues like this, elections will no longer be a democratic competition. It will merely be a pre-scripted show, a play where even protests are forbidden, and a scenario with a predetermined outcome.

It is time to reclaim the real game.

If the bribed referees turn a blind eye to Hollywood acting, the citizens, who are the audience, must come forward and resist. While incorrect calls in soccer may end with anger and resentment, fraudulent elections are a cancerous presence that shakes the entire nation, including people's livelihoods, security, and economy.

Fighting against incorrect election rulings is not an option, but a duty for all citizens to protect democracy.

◆ Writer Min Byung-gon

Current) Political Documentary Writer

Current) Spokesperson for the People Power Party Incheon Metropolitan Chapter