A sign for Rhee Park School, a conservative education group, is seen outside its office in central Seoul on June 2, 2025. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 2 (Korea Bizwire) — In the final stretch of South Korea’s high-stakes presidential election, a digital manipulation scandal has thrown the race into turmoil, casting doubts on the integrity of online discourse and raising alarms over political interference by a far-right education group.
The controversy centers around Rhee Park School, a conservative civic organization named after two of South Korea’s most polarizing former presidents—Rhee Syng-man and Park Chung-hee.
The group is now accused of orchestrating an online campaign to sway public opinion in favor of People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo by flooding comment sections with praise for Kim and attacks on his rival, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP).
The allegations first surfaced in an explosive exposé by investigative outlet Newstapa last week, which reported that the group had maintained a dedicated team of online operatives—so-called “commenters”—tasked with rigging digital sentiment in Kim’s favor.
The fallout was immediate. The DP filed a formal complaint with law enforcement, labeling Rhee Park School a “far-right” entity engaged in psychological manipulation of the electorate. Authorities have since opened a criminal investigation, as the nation watches with mounting unease just days before it heads to the polls.
Digital Smear Campaign Allegations Cloud Final Days of Election (Image supported by ChatGPT)
Speaking to reporters Monday, DP candidate Lee did not mince words. “This is an act of insurrection,” he said, “an effort to undermine constitutional democracy through deception and digital manipulation.” Lee stopped short of directly accusing the PPP of orchestrating the campaign, but suggested complicity. “It defies belief that the PPP is uninvolved,” he added. “They are the clear beneficiaries.”
Kim Moon-soo, however, has denied any knowledge of the activities tied to Rhee Park School. “I don’t even know who writes the comments on our own channels,” Kim told journalists Sunday. “How would I know what Rhee Park School is doing?” He dismissed the accusations as baseless.
Still, questions linger over Kim’s past ties to the organization. In 2018, he reportedly attended a lecture hosted by an affiliate of the group’s leader, Son Hyo-sook, raising eyebrows over whether his denial holds water.
When pressed on whether he knew Son personally, Kim deflected: “This is not about who knows whom—it’s about the comments.”
As suspicions mount that the far-right group Rhee Park School dispatched instructors to Neulbom Schools to instill an ultra-conservative view of history, the Ministry of Education has dismissed the group’s leader, Son Hyo-sook, from her role as a policy advisor. (Image from MBC)
Amid the uproar, the Ministry of Education has taken swift action, removing Son from a government advisory position and announcing a formal investigation into the organization’s activities.
Adding to the tension, a civic group filed a separate complaint Monday against Kim, accusing him of spreading false information through his denial of involvement with the Rhee Park School network.
The stakes could not be higher. On Tuesday, South Koreans will cast their votes to determine who will succeed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office in disgrace after attempting to impose martial law in December.
The scandal now threatens to derail the PPP’s campaign at a critical juncture—and raises deeper questions about the role of shadowy influence operations in South Korea’s democracy.
As the country braces for election day, the specter of manipulated truth looms large over the democratic process, leaving voters to weigh not just policies and personalities, but the integrity of the digital public square itself.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
