Lee-Park School 'Jaeson-gun' Comment Manipulation Controversy, Far-Right History Education Debate Spreads

Purpose and Background of Lee-Park School

Lee-Park School is an extreme right-wing educational organization established with the purpose of promoting the lives and achievements of former presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee. After retiring from public service in the late 2010s, representative Son Hyo-sook has led this organization for about seven years, investing even her public pension based on the belief that "without understanding history, there is no future." The name 'Lee-Park School' is derived from the surnames of Rhee and Park, and it aims to provide historical education that positively highlights these two figures. In light of current distrust in school education, Son has embarked on a historical education movement aimed at helping future generations develop a correct understanding of history, targeting elementary school students, teenagers, and parents. It is reported that she has been dedicated to developing historical content and training personnel, commuting daily from Yongin to the office in Jongno, Seoul, often sacrificing her weekends.

Lee-Park School Organization Structure and Entities

Lee-Park School is structured in a way that its founder, Son Hyo-sook (68 years old), directly leads the organization. Son has a background as an administrative expert who started as a level 9 civil servant and rose to the position of level 5 administrative officer (Osan Post Office Chief). After retirement, she considers herself a keeper of history and oversees the overall operation and activities of the organization. Members of Son's family also participate in supporting historical education activities, reflecting the characteristics of a small private organization where the family plays a core role. While Lee-Park School publicly claims to be a historical education organization, it has been confirmed that it operates a group suspected of illegal comment manipulation, known as 'Jasong-gun,' alongside its political activities. News Tapa suspects that Son is the operator and key figure of 'Jasong-gun,' managing and directing its members directly. Lee-Park School uses names such as 'Korean Spring Education Association' and 'Korean Education Consulting Institute' depending on the time of activity or purpose, and has collaborated with external organizations. It has signed a business agreement with Seoul National University of Education to provide official educational programs and has expanded its activities through the issuance of private certification. The organization operates under Son’s strong leadership and promotes activities through cooperation with volunteers and some conservative organizations, rather than establishing a formal membership or representative system. Based on this activity experience, Son was appointed as an advisory member of the Ministry of Education's education policy after the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

The nature, content, and target audience of the Lee-Park School educational program

The education programs operated by Lee-Park School can be broadly divided into two categories. The first is a self-developed history education course that contains a far-right perspective, glorifying former presidents Lee Seung-man and Park Jung-hee while distorting the May 18 Democratic Movement. Representative Son Hyo-sook claims that through history lectures and field trip programs, she practices 'unexaggerated and undistorted' history education targeting youths and homemakers, and also conducted on-site learning using institutions such as the National Police Agency, the Royal Palace Museum, and the National Tax Service's promotional center. The main attendees of this program are parents with elementary school children, their children, and homeschooling families interested in alternative education. The second category is the operation of regular programs aimed at elementary care classrooms and after-school programs. In 2024, in collaboration with an institution under Seoul National University of Education, Lee-Park School proposed programs titled 'Exciting Experiment Science' and 'Picture Books Felt with the Five Senses' as part of the Neulbom School (integrated project for elementary after-school care), which were actually conducted as after-school classes in 10 elementary schools in Seoul. Although these programs outwardly consisted of scientific experiences and cultural art reading activities that did not reveal political inclinations, the instructors leading these courses were individuals trained by Lee-Park School who shared the organization's historical perspective. There are suspicions that they attempted to inject conservative historical views into students while disguising the content as general education. Lee-Park School secured its instructors through its own teacher training program. Representative Son Hyo-sook recruited people on the condition that they would be issued the private certificate 'Creative Experience Activity Guide' free of charge and then assigned as instructors for elementary care classrooms after completing the training. This certification course was operated in collaboration with the Korean Education Consulting Institute, which was registered with the Ministry of Education in 2021, and graduates were deployed to actual school settings through the education office. Thus, Lee-Park School's educational programs have successfully secured a broad range of targets, from aspiring adult instructors to elementary students, and strategically aimed to expand their influence within the education sector through the after-school program system.

Social Impact and Reputation of Lee-Park School

Lebak School came under national controversy after an undercover report by Newstapa revealed attempts at comment manipulation at the end of May 2025. Until then, it was largely unknown to the general public and was intermittently introduced as a "historical education organization praising Lee Seung-man and Park Chung-hee." In early 2024, some media outlets referred to CEO Son Hyosook as a "Guardian of History," positively highlighting her dedication to the future generations of the nation. This is interpreted as the reason why Lebak School was recognized as a patriotic education organization among conservative-minded individuals. However, after suspicions of comment manipulation arose, the reputation of Lebak School rapidly declined. The organization faced intense criticism from major media and the political sphere, framed as an illegal election intervention group linked to far-right organizations, and it was derided as a "civilian comment brigade," referencing the National Intelligence Service comment incident of 2012. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung harshly criticized Lebak School as a "serious criminal group attempting to overturn election results," questioning whether it was an act of rebellion, and the party's election committee immediately initiated police reports. The education sector was also significantly shocked. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations released a statement demanding a full investigation by the Ministry of Education and measures to prevent recurrence, stating, "Instructors trained by far-right organizations are running after-school care and programs." The National Teachers' Union particularly pointed out that this was the worst case of structural negligence, leaving after-school programs to private entities without measures, expressing concern that elementary school students were fully exposed to far-right historical views. This incident led to a decline in trust in the Neulbom School project and highlighted issues of poor oversight by the Ministry of Education. Although the Ministry of Education belatedly considered canceling the agreement between Seoul National University of Education and Lebak School, stating, "We will conduct a thorough examination of all institutions," some critics are raising questions about the ministry's responsibility for failing to filter out extremist organizations from the start. Currently, public sentiment towards Lebak School is generally negative, with reactions online spreading that "even the name Lebak School is repugnant." Attempts to defend CEO Son or downplay the incident as a conspiracy theory have been detected in some far-right communities, but evaluations from mainstream media and societal perceptions remain extremely negative.

Financial Structure, Revenue, and Expenditure of Lee-Park School

The financial structure of Lee-Park School appears to be based on the personal funds and volunteer work of CEO Son Hyo-sook. After retiring from public office, CEO Son invested nearly all of her pension into Lee-Park School activities for several years, maintaining the organization with her own money without government subsidies or formal sponsorship. Most of the office rent in Jongno, Seoul, costs for developing educational materials, and expenses for historical field trips were also covered by CEO Son, and the instructor training program was provided free of charge. There are instances where some income was generated. When collaborating with Seoul National University of Education to supply after-school programs for elementary schools, it is possible that remuneration for instructors or program costs were paid from the education office or school budget. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has previously allocated a certain budget for private partners to participate in the "Never-ending Spring School" program, and it is estimated that Lee-Park School instructors received allowances based on class hours. However, it has not been confirmed whether these public funds were directly allocated to the overall operating costs of Lee-Park School. Lee-Park School is evaluated as having operated with a focus on ideological purposes rather than economic benefits. It has been confirmed that individuals involved in the comment manipulation team were offered opportunities to receive a private certificate, the "Creative Experience Activity Leader," as compensation instead of monetary rewards. Although this certificate is registered with the Ministry of Education, its issuance was carried out by a private institution, and the Ministry explained that it is not an official qualification or employment guarantee funded by national budget. In summary, the finances of Lee-Park School were covered by personal sponsorship and limited program revenue, with expenditures primarily used for office operations, educational activities, promotion, and event costs. Overall, it is assessed as an organization with a spending structure aimed at ideological dissemination rather than profit-making.

Introduction of Key Figures Related to Lee-Park School

Son Hyosook is the founder and representative of Libox School, and is at the center of the current situation. Born in the 1950s (68 years old), she retired as a level 5 civil servant after a career in public service, founding Libox School with the mission of “protecting the history of Korea.” She has been responsible for overall operations, including the planning of educational programs, training instructors, and external cooperation, and has also been identified as the operator of the illegal comment manipulation team "Jasongun." She venerates Lee Seung-man and Park Chung-hee as "individuals who performed historical miracles," and has reflected far-right perspectives on the May 16 military coup, Park's regime, and the May 18 democratization movement in her educational content. After the launch of the Yoon Seok-youl government, she was appointed as an advisory committee member on education policy at the Ministry of Education, but it seems inevitable that she will be dismissed or resign due to the current comment manipulation scandal. Kim Moon-soo, a politician from the People Power Party, has been identified as a beneficiary of the Libox School comment manipulation incident. Allegations have emerged that he received organized comment support from Libox School ahead of the 2025 by-election or presidential election. Jasongun allegedly focused on posting praising comments about candidate Kim to create favorable public opinion, and with the revelation of Son's mention of a personal relationship with him and her office visit, whether Kim was aware of the organization's existence has become a point of contention. The Democratic Party is demanding a clear statement regarding the relationship between candidate Kim and Libox School. Representative Jo Jeong-hoon, also from the People Power Party, has been pointed out as the person who organized a fake press conference planned by Libox School. The press conference held on May 27, 2025, at the National Assembly's communication hall was attended by members of Jasongun disguised as members of a parent group, and it has been confirmed that this event was arranged by Representative Jo. Originally known as a respected young politician, he is facing criticism for collaborating with far-right groups in the public opinion war due to this incident. It is expected that Representative Jo will clarify that he simply complied with a request, but there are indications that further investigation is needed regarding his interactions with Son Hyosook. Representatives Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Sang-hoon, also from the People Power Party, encouraged the organization at the Libox School-related press conference. At the press conference held on May 27, 2025, Kwon Seong-dong was the floor leader and Kim Sang-hoon was the policy committee chairman, both of whom attended the event and delivered words of encouragement. The Democratic Party is demanding explanations, arguing that their attendance provides sufficient grounds to suspect connections between Libox School, the ruling party, and Kim Moon-soo's camp. The two representatives may claim that their attendance was customary, and it seems that there will be a clarification of responsibilities in the future. Individuals related to "Jasongun," the comment manipulation team known as "Free Finger Army," operated under the direction of Son Hyosook, although the specific identities of team leaders and members have not yet been disclosed. The Democratic Party has stated that they received a tip that the past leader of the National Intelligence Service's comment manipulation team "Alpha Team," identified as Lee, has been assisting candidate Kim Moon-soo, raising the possibility that this individual was involved in the operation of Jasongun. Participants in the comment activities come from diverse backgrounds, including housewives, young people, and aspiring teachers, and it has been investigated that they participated in online activities in exchange for rewards such as the issuance of certificates. As investigations progress, there is a possibility that the identities of key individuals will be further revealed.

Recent issues and controversies surrounding Lee-Park School

The recent core issues related to Rhee Park School can be summarized in two points. One is the suspicion of online comment manipulation ahead of the election, and the other is the suspicion of the infiltration of extreme right ideology into elementary after-school care classes. On May 30, 2025, News Tapa revealed that Rhee Park School operated a comment unit called ‘Son-soon-gun’ to distort public opinion by posting organized comments on internet news articles as the presidential election approached. This comment unit engaged in posting defamatory comments about candidate Lee Jae-myung and candidate Lee Jun-seok, while praising candidate Kim Moon-soo, with attempts to sway public opinion using multiple IDs in the Naver news comment section confirmed. This action has been criticized as an illegal act that disrupts the democratic electoral process. At the same time, suspicions have been raised that Son-soon-gun comment agents were induced to participate by using elementary after-school instructor certificates as bait and that they were covertly infiltrated into actual school environments. It has been confirmed that CEO Son Hyo-sook issued elementary after-school class instructor certificates to individuals participating in comment activities and assigned them as instructors at Nulbom School. Some of these individuals pretended to be part of a 'parent education organization' at a press conference held at the National Assembly's communication hall on May 27, which was found to be planned by Rhee Park School and arranged by the office of People Power Party's lawmaker Jo Jeong-hoon. At the press conference, criticism of Lee Jae-myung's educational pledges was announced, with lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Sang-hoon from the People Power Party attending and delivering words of encouragement. This incident, intertwined with various elements such as comment manipulation, infiltration into education sites, and the staging of a National Assembly press conference, has caused a significant shock in the political arena. The opposition party has defined it as “organized opinion manipulation equivalent to insurrection” and called for severe punishment, while some ruling party figures have countered by pointing out that the past opposition party was also involved in comment manipulation. However, public opinion strongly views this incident as a reenactment of the 2012 National Intelligence Service comment incident, placing considerable pressure on the Yoon Suk-yeol government and the ruling party. The Ministry of Education and Seoul National University of Education have canceled related programs and agreements and have commenced investigations into the matter. The Election Commission and investigation agencies are also looking into potential violations of election laws and illegal use of personal information, and there are possibilities of identifying additional related individuals and imposing sanctions on Rhee Park School based on the results of upcoming investigations. On May 31, 2025, the scene of Democratic Party officials protesting at Rhee Park School's office in Jongno, Seoul, also attracted attention. The office entrance had slogans such as "Rhee Park School," "Rhee Park Korea," "The Miracle Initiated by President Syngman Rhee," and "Protecting the History of the Republic of Korea," along with the names of conservative organizations like the Republic of Korea Army's Total Defense Association and the Former Military Total Defense Association, indicating a close connection. The Democratic Party held a picket protest demanding a clear revelation of the relationship between the People Power Party and Rhee Park School and reported CEO Son Hyo-sook and Rhee Park School to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of election interference. Currently, the controversy surrounding Rhee Park School encompasses educational, political, and legal issues simultaneously, and the ramifications of the case continue to expand.

Lee-Park School Comment Manipulation and Public Opinion Manipulation Allegations

The key issue of the Lee-Park School incident is the distortion of public opinion through the manipulation of internet comments. The "Jasongun," revealed through a News Tapa report, was a comment manipulation team organized under the leadership of CEO Son Hyo-sook, which has been confirmed to have posted a large number of comments supporting specific politicians or disparaging opposing camps using multiple IDs. The primary platform for their activities was the comment section of Naver News, employing a strategy of disguising themselves as ordinary users to manipulate public opinion. For example, they systematically posted comments like "Candidate Kim Moon-soo is an excellent leader" to increase the number of recommendations, or they focused on posting derogatory comments related to candidate Lee Jae-myung to induce negative public sentiment. These actions are similar to past operations where state agencies were involved in comment manipulation but were conducted more covertly as they were led by a private organization. In the process of recruiting and operating the comment manipulation team, Lee-Park School used the privately registered qualification "Creative Experience Activity Instructor" from the Ministry of Education as an incentive. They promoted that individuals participating in the comment activities would receive the qualification free of charge and recruited personnel, actually issuing the qualification after several weeks of training and comment activity. This qualification is linked to eligibility to work as instructors in elementary after-school care programs, allowing Lee-Park School to aim for a dual effect of engaging in online public opinion battles while entering offline educational fields. Furthermore, they were mobilized for offline activities with political purposes. They disguised themselves as a "parent education organization" to participate in a press conference held at the National Assembly communication hall and presented content criticizing Candidate Lee Jae-myung's promises. This press conference was planned by Lee-Park School and arranged by the office of National Assembly member Jo Jeong-hoon from the People Power Party, with members Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Sang-hoon also attending to deliver supportive remarks. This has been assessed as the offline version of comment opinion manipulation, raising suspicions that Lee-Park School colluded with some politicians. So far, confirmed facts include the operation of the comment army, the rampant issuance of qualifications, and the press conference disguised as a parent organization, while the involvement of Candidate Kim Moon-soo is under further investigation. The opposition party is intensively raising whether Candidate Kim Moon-soo or their camp was involved in this opinion manipulation based on a statement by CEO Son Hyo-sook that "Candidate Kim Moon-soo came to our office." If direct involvement is proven, this could expand from simply a case of an organization's deviation to collusion in electoral crimes. The People Power Party has denied the allegations or positioned them as individual deviations of certain people. In summary, the allegations of comment and opinion manipulation by Lee-Park School are recognized as a serious issue shaking the foundation of democracy, and intense exchanges are continuing in the political arena. Depending on the investigation results, various legal responsibilities such as violations of election laws, obstruction of business, and defamation may apply to the participants, while this incident highlights both the risks of online anonymous opinion manipulation and the extent of political intervention affecting educational sectors, raising social awareness. It is anticipated that discussions on institutional improvements to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents and to foster healthy public opinion formation will follow.