Fehlinformationen in Südkorea nehmen während und nach der Ausrufung des Kriegsrechts zu

Tanks rolling down the street. Innocent citizens and opposition politicians being arrested in the middle of the night. “Assassination squads” targeting prominent progressive voices.

These were a few of the rumors and unverified claims flying around after the now-suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol’s surprise martial law declaration on Dec. 3, as chaos and confusion briefly took hold of South Korea.

Most of these fears were dispelled quickly, but in the wake of Yoon’s controversial move, politicians and news outlets kept circulating unverified claims about the fast-changing situation.

These wild rumors highlight the dangers of misinformation in South Korea — a country where high levels of education and digital exposure have done little to improve people’s ability to verify the dubious claims that often sweep through political echo chambers.