4 in 10 high school students believe vote-rigging possible; teenage boys leaning far right
Teenagers from the National Youth Coalition Against Impeachment read a declaration opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, March 3. Yonhap
A violent clash at the Seoul Western District Court involving teenagers during the martial law crisis and impeachment turmoil of former President Yoon Suk Yeol has raised questions: Are Korea’s adolescents drifting toward far-right politics?
While the political leanings of young men in their 20s have been widely scrutinized, little attention has been paid to teenagers. A new large-scale survey offers a more nuanced picture: 4 in 10 teens believe vote-rigging is possible, yet most firmly oppose martial law.
The findings suggest that while most teenagers are not drifting to the far right, rightward tendencies are concentrated among teenage boys.
The Hankook Ilbo partnered with knowledge-content startup Underscore to conduct an online poll of 1,070 respondents from May 28 to June 2.
The sample included 459 high school students aged 16 to 18 and 611 youths aged 19 to 22. It is the first time a domestic media outlet has surveyed adolescents nationwide on their political awareness.
Belief in election fraud, rejection of martial law
The poll found 43.9 percent of teens agreed that “vote-rigging is likely in elections,” compared to 24.8 percent who disagreed.
Boys were more inclined to believe in fraud, with 48.8 percent agreeing, compared to 39 percent of girls. The rate was even higher than that of young men in their 20s, who have been labeled conservative.
Yet when asked about Yoon’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration, most drew a clear line. Nearly 70 percent of male teens and 74 percent of female teens opposed it.
Experts suggest conspiracy theories may have drawn interest as interesting stories rather than serious political commitments, while uncritical acceptance of far-right influencers’ claims also played a role.
“Once locked into partisan logic, it becomes easy to believe that anything ‘your side’ says cannot be wrong," said psychiatrist Kim Hyun-soo of Myongji Hospital. "This mindset can reshape psychological structures themselves.”
Anti-China sentiment growing
Anti-China sentiment was another striking finding. Over half of respondents (56.7 percent) agreed that “Chinese or ethnic Koreans from China have a negative influence on Korean society.”
Videos portraying Chinese people in a derogatory light are widely circulated on social media, shaping young viewers’ perceptions.
With more than 63,000 Chinese and ethnic Korean students enrolled in Korea’s schools, experts warn that unchecked hostility could fuel bullying, discrimination and social division.
The survey confirmed the ‘teenage boys phenomenon,’ showing male teens to be consistently more conservative than their female peers on major social issues.
For example, 21.6 percent of boys opposed higher taxes on the wealthy, compared to 11.6 percent of girls.
On the question “homosexuals are not a social minority,” 50.8 percent of boys agreed versus 25.1 percent of girls.
Notably, many boys placed themselves to the right of their own parents. Forty percent said they were more conservative than their fathers, while only 24 percent of girls said the same.
Experts link the trend to anxiety. “Boys feel the traditional male status in society is collapsing, and that insecurity pushes them toward conservative politics in search of protection," Kim noted.
A survey found the ‘teenage boys phenomenon,’ with male teens more conservative than female peers. gettyimagesbank
Gender divide
Still, the generational gender gap among teens is not as stark as that of their older peers. For instance, on the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the gender gap was slightly narrower among teens than among those in their 20s.
Analysts attribute this to fewer shared feminist flashpoints, such as the 2016 Gangnam Station murder case, in the formative years of today’s teens.
Interestingly, teens from stable families were more likely to believe in meritocracy and fairness.
Those who reported positive parental relationships were more inclined to agree that “success depends on ability” and that “tests are fairer than interviews,” suggesting a “just world” belief shaped by stable home environments.
The education level of mothers also showed a stronger correlation with progressive attitudes than that of fathers, underscoring the greater emotional closeness between children and mothers.
Experts caution against reading the survey as evidence of a fixed trajectory. Adolescents’ views can shift quickly with new experiences.
“Once boys enter college or the workforce, their perspectives often change dramatically,” Kim said. “Far-right leanings are, in many cases, an outlet for frustration and insecurity, not a permanent stance.”
But the persistence of conservatism among young men in their 20s and 30s suggests otherwise. Without reforms in public education that equip youth with balanced political literacy, Korea’s future electorate may carry forward today’s divisions.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.