In KakaoTalk chat rooms where National Assembly aides, reporters, and corporations' government-relations staff gather, dozens of messages start with the first letter "bat" in a single day. "Bat" is short for "received post" and is mainly used to informally spread political information or messages. There is a flood of "bat" items whose authenticity and sources are unknown but that carry political calculations. Who is making these "bat" posts, why, and how are they circulated?
◇ KakaoTalk messages that start with "bat"… "Anonymous posts with political calculations"
On the 5th, late Saturday afternoon, a "bat" related to a broker surnamed Yang, who is tied to allegations of a new drug lobbying scheme involving Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won, spread quickly in Yeouido. Among the recordings that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has been releasing daily was a line from Yang saying "I'm taking a bunch of stuff," and the bat post claimed the "stuff" was hand cream produced by Yang's own company.
But that bat post ended by saying of lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, "As one would imagine at his level, the way he leaks to the press transparently shows how Han's investigative methods were when he was a prosecutor." In effect, it sided with nominee Kim while cutting down Han.
This bat post can be called a representative example of the "bat posts" that move politics in Yeouido. Lawmakers and politicians use social media such as Facebook or X as official communication channels. By contrast, "bat posts" spread through KakaoTalk or Telegram rooms are informal channels. They use bat posts when it is tricky to issue an official position or when they want to shape public opinion in a particular direction.
A National Assembly aide, identified as A, said, "When an anonymous 'bat' with unclear sources and grounds is distributed, you can assume there is a political calculation," adding, "It does not always work and can even backfire."
◇ Produced in political circles and spreads at the speed of light in KakaoTalk group chats
"Bat posts" also have a production and distribution structure. Anyone could make one, but they are believed to be produced mainly by National Assembly aides, party officials, and figures on the periphery of politics.
It is not hard to distribute them afterward. Hundreds of government and corporations' government-relations and information staff are stationed in and around the National Assembly. They communicate closely with aides and reporters, and there are dozens of group chats where "bat posts" and various National Assembly information are posted quickly in KakaoTalk or Telegram. If a bat post is leaked into just one or two of these group chats, it can be shared instantly to other groups and spread across the political world.
Some bat posts are for conveying information or offering explanations, but they are also used to "target" specific people. One lawmaker was said to have gotten angry when, early in the Lee Jae-myung administration, a bat post circulated saying the lawmaker was a strong contender for a Minister post. A National Assembly aide, identified as B, said, "These posts are usually written by rivals to knock down the person mentioned in the bat post."
Recently, there was also a bat post about a Minister nominee that laid out an impressive resume and political future at length. The thrust was that if the nominee added a ministerial stint this time, the person could surge as a leading presidential contender after serving as party leader.
A National Assembly aide, identified as C, said, "It looked like something someone labored over to help the nominee enter the Cabinet," adding, "Because it painted such a rosy future that seemed out of reach for the nominee's current political capacity, it was judged to lack realism."