MAGA media personalities with ties to Trump ally Steve Bannon are holding a conference in South Korea with the goal of starting “a MAGA move
Jane Lee and Isabella Corrao at MMFA:
MAGA media personalities with ties to Trump ally Steve Bannon are holding a conference in South Korea with the goal of starting “a MAGA movement” in Korea called Build Up Korea. As South Korea faced political turmoil over the past year, these figures defended the former Korean president’s use of martial law and pushed wild conspiracy theories that China had infiltrated the Korean Democrat Party and interfered in the 2025 Korean presidential election. Bannon’s War Room has become a focal point of these conspiracy theories, with Bannon and his troupe repeatedly warning their audience that Yoon’s impeachment is part of a larger, worldwide movement targeting conservative leaders and that his impeachment, “to the Third World War, is Bloody Kansas to the Civil War. Or Spain, 1935.”
Background
On December 3, then-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Yoon accused the National Assembly — controlled by Korea’s Democratic Party — of plotting insurrection and attempting to “overthrow” democracy. He claimed the measures were necessary to ensure “the freedom and safety of the people” and to keep the country from collapse. Yoon lifted martial law after mass protests from both citizens and lawmakers, which included members of his own party. [New York Times, 12/3/24; Center for Strategic & International Studies, 12/3/24]
Yoon was subsequently impeached by the National Assembly, which was later upheld by the Constitutional Court in April. A snap presidential election was held in June, which resulted in Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party nominee, elected as president. [Associated Press, 4/5/25; CNN, 6/4/25]
Build Up Korea 2025, which is seemingly styled after the TPUSA movement, features personalities who have spread claims that China had infiltrated Korea’s Democrat Party and interfered in the June election to ensure that Lee would win. As one expert noted in Reuters, the electtion fraud claims regarding Lee and the Chinese Communist Party “reek of conspiracy theories and paranoia” — even a White House official noted that the Korean election was “free and fair.” PBS called these claims “unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.” [Twitter/X, 8/26/25; Reuters, 6/4/25; PBS, 6/2/25]
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Mina Kim, founder of the purported Korean MAGA movement, Build Up Korea, defended Yoon and his decision to declare martial law at length: “President Yoon believes that the National Assembly has been infiltrated by these foreign interests, particularly pro-CCP forces, and that there are even pro-North Korean sympathizers within our legislative body. And many politicians, in his view, have clearly compromised. And faced with this reality, President Yoon saw martial law as the only constitutional power he had left. And it was a last resort decision that he had to make. And while the timing may be controversial, it exposed deep corruption and injustice within our government. And importantly, no violence was used. The Declaration of Martial Law was peaceful and a strong but lawful appeal to the people, I believe.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/4/25]
Co-Chair of TPUSA Faith Rob McCoy praised Yoon imposing martial law, arguing that “they needed it there” because “communists have infiltrated these these seven areas of societal influence, arts, entertainment, media, business, politics. They're everywhere. And the same thing infiltrated with us with DEI and critical race theory.” In a December appearance on Flashpoint, McCoy commented on martial law in South Korea, saying that, “One of the reasons why you're seeing what's happening in South Korea is very similar to what was happening here in the United States. Communists have infiltrated these seven areas of societal influence, arts and entertainment, media, business, politics. They're everywhere. And the same thing infiltrated with us with DEI and critical race theory and all that was happening. And they were about to take over the country, and what they would do is is secure the military and change the constitution. Well, in South Korea, like our president elect understood, they had to stop it. And thank god we didn't need martial law, but they needed it there. And so, it's a fight for freedom, and, I'm excited to see what's gonna happen because America's leading the way.” McCoy's remarks appear to refer to the so-called Seven Mountain Mandate, “a theological approach that calls on Christians to impose fundamentalist values on all aspects of American life.” The Mandate “calls on Christians to gain influence, or 'take dominion,' over seven key areas of culture: religion, family, education, government, media, business and the arts.” [Victory Channel, Flashpoint, 12/3/24; TPUSA Faith, accessed 9/4/25; Media Matters, 2/21/24; Ohio Capital Journal, 7/10/25]
MAGA media influencers turn their sights onto South Korea’s far-right election denialist movement that supports the impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
