Jang Chae-hwan (33, Sasang-gu Office), a national representative 2nd team player affiliated with the Korea Archery Association, has been revealed to have repeatedly posted far-right extremist content, claiming that the last presidential election was a 'fraudulent election.' Jang noted, 'There was no malice intended.'
Jang Chae-hwan, a male national representative in recurve archery, wrote on social media on the 17th, 'I originally come from Jeonnam and had a center-left inclination,' and, 'When former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, I wondered, "Why did he impose martial law in this era?" and I looked into what happened.'
He continued, 'Seeing the excessive impeachment and media takeover, I concluded that it was right to voice my opinions from a conservative perspective for the future of free Korea, rather than a center-left stance, and I wanted to inform my acquaintances about the current situation by posting evidence of election fraud and conservative content on my personal Instagram.'
Regarding the expressions such as 'eradicate communism' and 'CCP (Chinese Communist Party) OUT,' he stated, 'Eradicate communism is a term written on the identifier bands (yellow armbands) used in reserve forces training, which all military veterans know,' and, 'Posting "Chinese Communist Party OUT" was my way of expressing the hope that the Chinese Communist Party would retreat, which should be natural for the people of Korea.'
In particular, Jang stated, 'I thought I was not a public figure as a second team player rather than a first team representative,' and added, 'The constitution states that all citizens are equal before the law and that no one should face discrimination in any area, so I believed it was okay to express my personal political inclinations.'
He then apologized, saying, 'There was no malice intended,' and, 'I'm sorry if I caused anyone to be upset.'
Earlier, Jang Chae-hwan had posted several times on Instagram alleging election fraud around the June 3 presidential election.
He posted an image confirming the election of Lee Jae-myung as president along with the message, 'China = early voting manipulation = Jeolla-do = National Election Commission collaboration result. Come quickly, North Korea… Our China, don't go to the U.S. troops…' Additionally, he posted a photo taken at a polling station with the phrase, 'Voting is a legitimate ballot, making the abnormal normal, let's stop communist forces, eradicate communism.'
The repeated posting of such content while being a national representative has raised concerns that it violates the 'duty to maintain dignity' outlined in the selection and operation regulations of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. The Korea Archery Association stated, 'We have advised national team athletes regarding the use of social media.'
Jang Chae-hwan passed the national selection trials last March and wore the Taegeuk mark, but he did not place in the top four in the final evaluation and will not participate in major international competitions, including next year's World Archery Championships in Gwangju.