'China out' campaign gains momentum in South Korea ahead of June 3 presidential polls

In April, a Chinese neighbourhood in South Korean capital Seoul was rocked by “Go back to China” slogans and racial slurs. This was not an isolated incident, but a culmination of anti-China rhetoric and social media hate speech in run up to presidential polls slated for June 3.

Some Mandarin-speaking people in South Korea have reported being harassed just because of their language, while others said they felt “anxious” while travelling to work.

Who to blame?

As per a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), South Korea’s ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) and other far-right factions are increasingly trying to exploit anti-China views among the masses for electoral gains.

Right-wing politicians are targeting China for what they call “bullying diplomacy” and alleged interference in elections. Some also complain about trade and diplomatic ties.

Some conservative elements also fuelled rumours that as former president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in the country earlier this year, some 99 Chinese agents were detained by authorities for tampering with South Korea’s election servers. This claim was later debunked by the authorities, but some still remain unconvinced.

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Recently, a PPP spokesman accused liberal presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of being trapped in “Little Sinocentrism”. Meanwhile, Minor conservative party candidate Lee Jun-seok claimed that South Korea was “in danger” under leaders captivated by the “Chinese Dream”.

‘Hate speech’ on Social media

The Hong Kong-based paper in its report claimed that anti-China narrative was widely visible on social media as well, with locals mocking “dirty Chinese tourists” and decrying “China threat”.

Notably, anti-China rhetoric is not new in South Korean politics. According to a 2022 survey, more than 80 per cent of South Koreans harbour negative views about China, primarily owing to security and cultural reasons.

However, the latest campaign was fuelled after the recent martial law crisis, experts claim.

“Since Yoon’s martial law crisis, the hatred has become more rooted in conspiracy theories and fake news,” claimed Ha Nam-suk, associate professor at the University of Seoul’s Department of Chinese Language and Culture.

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Response by Liberal party

While the conservative government has maintained a silence over the issue, the liberal party has pointed to an apparent “change in strategy” by the right-wing factions.

“The fear-based targeting that used to be aimed at North Korea is now being redirected towards China,” said Lee Ye-chan, a 24-year-old district representative from the Democratic Party of Korea, South Korea’s liberal party. “It’s bad politics, and it’s fear-based politics – scapegoating an entire group to distract from real issues.”