Hardship ends in joy. This is what Phil B. said at the confirmation hearing for the U.S. Ambassador to Korea. It means that even if things are difficult and arduous now, if we persevere to the end, reward and happiness will eventually come. After bitterness comes sweetness. It's "No pain, no gain."

The local elections are just around the corner. Does this mean that through this election, we can achieve joy after hardship? That is unlikely. As long as the mechanism for fraudulent elections remains, it will not be easy for the 'opposition party' to win this election either.

"There is a way to win, even with fraudulent elections."

Why do I say it's not easy? Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said there is a way to win, even with fraudulent elections. This likely means creating a margin of victory so large that it cannot be overcome by fraudulent means.

This aligns with the sentiment expressed after the U.S. presidential election: "Too big to Rig." It implies that if the scale is too large to be manipulated, if the fraud and deception cannot overturn the results, then victory is possible.

It is conceivable. The public's alienation is clearly evident. The shocked expressions of citizens, thinking "What is all this?" cannot be entirely covered up by any amount of manipulation of broadcasts and media.

A trend of "all remedies are ineffective" is being detected. The plan to discourage any possibility from the outset through public opinion manipulation doesn't seem to be going as intended. The opposition party leader did not agree to a totalitarian constitutional amendment, perhaps due to some reprimand received in the U.S. They are also no longer showing the attitude that denied 'Yoon Again'. If the election atmosphere is considered, it's not entirely bad.

However, let's assume the opposition party wins the election. What then happens to the fraudulent elections? Look. If it were a fraudulent election, how could the opposition party have won? This was a common counter-argument from those who deny election fraud, referring to the election of a president who is currently imprisoned.

Are they too desperate to employ such a clever 'ploy'? Even so, there's no reason to believe they lack a strategist like Cao Cao's "Zhang Zifang," who would advocate for a pause after the constitutional amendment failed. If the opposition party wins despite fraudulent elections, what will become of this country?

At this moment, I think of the president who is currently imprisoned. What meaning can a victory that does not involve the reinstatement of this person, a victory that is not 'Again', possibly hold? Can it even be called a victory?

The Principle of the Latecomers Harvesting the Fruits

Since I stopped being considered young, I have witnessed numerous instances of things going wrong. Those who strive to correct wrongdoings are ultimately sacrificed. On the foundation of this sacrifice, 'latecomers' harvest the valuable fruits of that sacrifice. They say that a sharp stone is bound to be hammered. They say that those who lead are destined to be lonely. Those who are adept at navigating social circles tend to boast of their social skills as if they were principles and truths.

In the turbulent currents of the world, through an era where the 'mouths' of those who do not strive are louder and their speaker outputs boom more resoundingly, I have seen too many instances of 'latecomers,' those who live in accordance with the times, acting as if they are superior.

What and for whom was the saying "Hardship ends in joy" intended? As the words of a politician, Park's remarks must have been prepared. They could not have been personal reflections for himself or his parents. It was clearly a message in Korean, directed towards Koreans who had fought in anticipation of a 'new dawn.'

I have no interest in the June 3rd election. For the eradication of fraudulent elections in this country, for the restoration of the most basic principles of democracy, how can anyone claim the fruits as their own while keeping those who made precious sacrifices imprisoned? And it's not just the president. Haven't many, including the Minister of National Defense, endured long and harsh ordeals since that day?

Nevertheless, the election day approaches. As long as the corrupt regime persists, this outrageous election cannot be prevented. There is no way to avoid holding the election. That is why former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, journalist Jeon Han-gil, Colonel Kim Hyun-tae, and YouTubers from independent media are all keenly watching the trends of the election. Election outlooks for each region are being uploaded to YouTube moment by moment. The election is undeniably a reality.

However, the joy at the end of hardship that Park is referring to will not be the joy of the June 3rd election. The June 3rd election is merely the surface of the political currents. Beneath the surface, a confrontation is underway between forces seeking to subjugate Korea as a vassal state and forces seeking to protect freedom. This is not an issue of today or yesterday; it is a conflict and tension that has been building for decades. At this very moment, June 2026, we are entering a decisive phase.

'The Joy at the End of Hardship' Will Surely Come

The situation is rapidly accelerating like the rapids of the Hantan River. The joint investigation team for U.S.-Korea fraudulent elections has announced that they will come to Korea and release a list of Korean IP addresses involved in the 2020 U.S. election manipulation. Ambassador Park stated to Koreans fighting for democracy, "Hardship ends in joy."

New U.S. airstrikes have begun. The U.S.-Iran war is believed to be on the verge of a final decision, tantamount to Iran's surrender. Raul Castro of Cuba has been issued an arrest warrant for an alleged plot to murder Americans. The frequent assassination attempts on the U.S. President likely reflect the impatience and anxiety of the forces behind fraudulent elections and leftist totalitarianism.

The current regime is attempting to prosecute YouTuber 'Rider Woo,' who claims to be a "special messenger" from the U.S. White Hat. Rider Woo's special message reached its climax with the news that, following former election commission chairman Kim, prominent journalist Son has already been arrested by U.S. authorities.

The labeling of individuals like Hong Mo and Gwak Mo as insurrectionists likely reflects an unspoken sense of crisis. The connection drawn between Starbucks' siren logo and April 16, 2014, further indicates a desperate and irrational psychological state. (Starbucks began in the port city of Seattle in 1971.)

The constitutional amendment has been thwarted for now. However, the current regime's schemes are proceeding at breakneck speed. The increased calls for the resumption of trials after a judge was mysteriously 'killed' will also fuel a sense of crisis.

How long will it take for the issues in Iran and Cuba to be resolved? The U.S. President will have to conclude the decisive battle against the forces of fraudulent elections before the November 3rd midterm elections. It cannot be assumed that the schedule for prosecuting those involved in fraudulent elections in Korea will not be included in this timeline.

I recall once again the words of the person in prison who urged us to look at the underlying currents. What is certain is that regardless of how the June 3rd election concludes, whether fraudulent elections win again, or whether the 'entubados' (a term of denigration) temporarily save face, 'the joy at the end of hardship' will come, in some form, sooner or later, it will surely come.

Until then, we must not lose our patience. In Kim Dong-ri's novel 'The Cross of Sivan,' Sivan, the leader trying to drive out the Roman collaborators, urged them to rise up and wait for the Messiah's time.

◆ Professor Bang Min-ho

Doctor of Literature, Professor of Korean Language and Literature at Seoul National University. He has been active as the chief editor of the quarterly literary magazine 'Mac' (since 2022), as well as a poet, novelist, and literary critic. His published works include 'Lover Shim Cheong' (2015), 'The Language of Pain' (2019), 'Reconsidering Korean Criticism' (2021), and 'Seoul Literary Journeys' (2024).