Inauthentic accounts disrupt South Korea presidential election

South Korea's election faced digital manipulation, with 30% inauthentic accounts spreading disinformation and negative sentiment.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

In the run-up to South Korea's June 3 presidential election, nearly 30% of online accounts participating in the digital conversation were found to be inauthentic, with some promoting claims of election rigging and Chinese involvement, according to findings from Cyabra, an Israeli open-source intelligence firm.

According to data reviewed by The Sunday Guardian from Cyabra, more than 1,400 profiles on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) were analyzed between April 10 and May 10, 2025. Of these, 29% were identified as inauthentic, while 14% were spreading negative sentiment.

The data also showed that 33% of accounts geolocated within South Korea were responsible for distributing negative messaging, much of it centered around political and economic issues.