On May 21, photos of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol appearing to fall asleep at the Seoul screening of the controversial film Korean Election Fraud, God’s Will? surfaced across Korean online communities.
The film, held at a theater in Dongdaemun District, marked Yoon’s first public appearance since his impeachment, but the event quickly became a lightning rod for criticism.
Seated between co-creators Lee Young-don, a TV personality, and Jeon Han-gil, a former history lecturer, Yoon was captured on camera with his eyes closed mid-screening.
The image rapidly went viral, sparking ridicule and disbelief from netizens:
- “A person charged as the ringleader of an insurrection is not in prison, but out at the movies—and still manages to fall asleep?”
- “Why did he even go?”
- “Maybe even he found the film too boring.”
A Film Fueled by Debunked Theories
The film in question promotes discredited claims of election fraud, suggesting that voting ballots were manipulated under the direction of China, and even attempts to justify Yoon’s controversial December 3 martial law declaration.
Despite widespread legal and factual repudiation of the film’s content, including by the National Election Commission, it continues to gain traction among far-right groups, many of whom were present at the screening.
Political Backlash Ahead of Election
Yoon’s attendance, occurring just 13 days before the June 3 presidential election, has been slammed as a thinly veiled political maneuver, particularly given the emotionally charged reaction of his supporters.
After the event, Yoon waved and smiled at attendees, later telling reporters,
“It was good,” a vague remark that drew even more ire.
Though co-producer Jeon Han-gil claimed that Yoon simply aimed to “give silent encouragement to young people,” critics from across the political spectrum viewed his presence as a clear signal of ongoing political intent, despite the gravity of the charges against him.