The Lee Administration faces a dilemma. It wants to clean up the internet. And who can blame it? The country’s digital spaces—once the pride of a hyper-connected, democratic society—have become a swamp of hate speech, deepfake porn, conspiracy theories, and coordinated harassment. Social media reform is not just overdue; it’s essential.
The next South Korean President, or let’s just call it now—Lee Jae-myung, will inherit more than a fractured domestic landscape. They’ll inherit Donald Trump. Lee will be dealing with a man who runs U.S. diplomacy on podcast and social media vibes, Fox News soundbites, and showmanship.
Every funded op-ed adds more distrust to the world of misinformation, disinformation, and post-truth society where scholars are less respected and repeated talking points more effective.
Opinion polls are big in Korea. You can find one to support your views, no matter what they are. Now, this is concerning in itself, and from what I’ve seen, it pays to be pretty skeptical about polls when it comes to gauging public sentiment.
After twenty-five years in government, academia and consultancy, with much of my time working on Korean Peninsula affairs, I’ve seen the best and worst North Korea Watchers.
