The photo shows anti-Yoon protesters covered in snow, not supporters of the South Korean president

Rival protest groups in South Korea braved the freezing cold in January 2024 to meet over the issue of President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon's followers on social media shared a photo of people attending rallies covered in snow, falsely saying it showed a protest against his removal from power. But the footage was cut from the original showing the opposition politician during the anti-Yoon protest.

Shared on Facebook on January 6, 2025, the post showed a group of protesters covered in snow and suggested a text overlaid above the image that they were Yoon's supporters.

“The people, for the sake of the future of Korea, camped in this freezing cold and covered in snow because of the criminal Lee Jae-myung,” the text read, referring to the opposition leader and Yoon's arch-rival.. “I am shedding tears. All lawmakers (the ruling People Power Party) must come out in support!”

Screenshot of the fake Facebook post, taken on January 8, 2025

The same image was posted along with the same claims on different Facebook posts, online news reports, and on YouTube.

It was shared as protesters from two political camps met during a snowstorm on January 5, with one group supporting Yoon and the other calling for his removal (link saved).

The president refused to be questioned and refused arrest after being suspended for briefly declaring martial law on December 3, a move that plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

Yoon remains confined to his residence, witnessing daily rallies by his supporters and opponents.

The photo of snow-covered protesters shared by Pro-Yoon was actually taken at a rally calling for the impeachment and impeachment of the president.

Yoon impeachment rally

Through a combination of keywords and a reverse Google search, AFP discovered that this photo is a cropped version of a photo posted on the Facebook page of South Korean lawmaker Jung Hye-kyung, who is part of the opposition Progressive Party (archived links here and here ).

The post read, in part: “Girls waving sticks took me back to my 20s, each of their stories was so precious that I wouldn't miss a single part of it… Yoon Suk Yeol will be arrested, this is the world girls will build.”

The first picture shows a person in a green coat, which Jung's office said was Jung himself. Contrary to what was posted on social media, the photo “was taken at a rally in favor of Yoon's impeachment, not an event representing Yoon,” said an AFP spokesperson.

Below is a screenshot comparison between the image shared on the fake Facebook post (left) and the actual uncropped image from Jung's Facebook post (right):

Similar uncut photos were also published in several local news reports, including here and here, which included photos from Jung's office (archived links here and here).

AFP has previously released false information about South Korea's political crisis, as seen here and here.