Every day​ for the past week, Kim Kwon-seop, 72, has joined thousands of others gathered near the home of South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol​. They were determined to shield Mr. Yoon from prosecutors who wanted to detain him on insurrection charges stemming from his short-lived declaration of martial law last month.

过去一周的每一天，72岁的金权燮（音）都与数以千计的人一起聚集在韩国被弹劾总统尹锡悦的住所附近。尹锡悦上月短暂宣布戒严令，促使检方希望以叛乱罪名拘捕他，而这些人决心保护尹锡悦。

To them, it was the opposition who had committed insurrection, abusing its majority power at the Assembly​ to repeatedly block Mr. Yoon​’s political initiatives. To them, the opposition’s parliamentary majority ​was invalid because the election last April was rigged. And to them, protecting Mr. Yoon was synonymous with protecting South Korea from “North Korea followers” who have taken root in every corner of their society, from the judiciary to schools to the news media.

在他们看来，是反对派发动了叛乱，滥用其在议会的多数权力，一再阻挠尹锡悦的政治倡议。在他们看来，反对派在议会中的多数席位无效，因为去年4月的选举是被操纵的。对他们来说，保护尹锡悦等同于保护韩国不受“朝鲜追随者”的侵害，这些追随者已在韩国社会的各个角落扎根，从司法部门到学校，再到新闻媒体。

​South Koreans commonly dismiss such conspiracy theories as little more than online demagoguery spread by right-wing YouTubers with the help of social media algorithms. But amid the country’s entrenched political polarization, they have fueled the turmoil over Mr. Yoon’s situation, driving zealous believers like Mr. Kim to take to the streets in large numbers, calling for the president’s return to office.

韩国人通常认为这种阴谋论不过是YouTube右翼用户借助社交媒体算法在网上传播的煽动言论。但在韩国根深蒂固的政治极化情况下，它们加剧了尹锡悦的问题所引发的动荡，驱使大批像金权燮这样的狂热信徒走上街头，呼吁总统复职。

“When I leave home for this rally every day, I tell my wife that this may be the last time she sees me alive, because I am ready to die for my cause,” Mr. Kim said. “This is not just about protecting President Yoon. It’s about saving my country for my descendants.”

“每天离家参加集会时，我都会告诉妻子，这可能是她最后一次见到我活着，因为我准备为我的事业献身，”金权燮说。“这不仅是为了保护尹总统。这是为后代拯救我的国家。”

If President-elect Donald J. Trump has a “Make America Great Again” movement behind him, Mr. Yoon has the “taegeukgi budae” ​(literally, “national-flag brigade”). It consists of mostly older, churchgoing South Koreans who enliven their rallies with patriotic songs, a wave of South Korean and American flags in support of their country’s alliance with ​Washington, and vitriolic attacks on the nation’s ​left-wing politicians, who they fear would ​hand their country over to China and North Korea.​

如果说候任总统特朗普得到“恢复美国伟大荣光”运动的支持，尹锡悦的背后则有“太极旗部队”。它主要由年纪较大、常去教堂的韩国人组成，他们在集会上高唱爱国歌曲，挥舞韩国和美国国旗，支持本国与华盛顿的同盟关系，对本国的左翼政治人士进行猛烈抨击，他们担心这些左翼会把自己的国家交给中国和朝鲜。

尹锡悦的支持者已在他位于首尔市中心的宅邸附近的人行道上扎营多日，誓言阻止一切拘留或逮捕他的企图。

“We won!” flag-waving supporters of Mr. Yoon shouted on Friday when investigators retreated from the presidential residence after failing to serve a court warrant to detain him for questioning.

上周五，调查人员未能执行法庭发出的问讯拘留令，从总统官邸撤退，尹锡悦的支持者挥舞着国旗高喊：“我们赢了！”。

“Yoon Suk Yeol is depending on the South Korean version of MAGA to hold onto power,” said Ahn Byong-jin, a professor of political science at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.

"尹锡悦依靠‘恢复美国伟大荣光’的韩国版的来掌握权力，”首尔庆熙大学政治学教授安秉镇（音）说

Mr. Yoon invoked the right-wing fear and indignation when he declared martial law on Dec. 3 to “eliminate the despicable pro-North Korean and anti-state forces at one stroke.” But his attempt to place his country under military rule for the first time in 45 years lasted only hours. The opposition-dominant National Assembly ​voted to rescind it​ and later impeached him.

去年12月3日，尹锡悦激发了右翼的恐惧和愤慨，以“一举消灭卑鄙的亲朝反国家势力”为由宣布戒严令。但这一45年来首次将国家置于军事统治之下的尝试只持续了几个小时。反对党占主导地位的国民议会投票撤销了戒严令，随后对他进行弹劾。

Suspended from office​, Mr. Yoon ​now faces a trial at the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether to formally remove him. He is also subject to separate investigations​ from prosecutors, who have accused him of committing insurrection when he ordered troops to seize the Assembly and to detain his political enemies during his martial law.

被停职的尹锡悦现在面临宪法法院的审判，该法院将决定是否正式罢免他。他还面临检察官的另案调查，检方指控他在戒严令期间命令军队占领议会并拘捕政敌，犯有叛乱罪。

With public surveys showing a majority of South Koreans wanting him ousted, Mr. Yoon’s strongest defenders are his flag-waving supporters and the right-wing YouTubers​, who glorify him as a champion of promoting the alliance with Washington. These YouTubers, some with around a million subscribers,​ demand Mr. Yoon​’s reinstatement and livestream pro-Yoon rallies, where speakers call the efforts to remove ​him a “coup d’état” at North Korea’s behest. They ​also reinforce political ​polarization by channeling conspiracy theories against Mr. Yoon’s progressive enemies​.

民意调查显示，多数韩国人希望他下台，而他最有力的捍卫者是那些摇旗呐喊的支持者和YouTube右翼用户，他们把他奉为韩美同盟的捍卫者。这些Youtube用户（其中一些拥有约100万订阅者）要求尹锡悦复职，并直播支持尹锡悦的集会。在这些集会上，演讲者称罢免尹锡悦的企图是朝鲜授意的“政变”。他们还针对尹锡悦的进步派敌人来传播阴谋论，从而加剧了政治极化。

Right-wing YouTubers have long boasted of their friendship with Mr. Yoon, after dozens of them were invited to his inauguration in 2022. In the wake of his botched martial law, Mr. Yoon left little doubt that he was a big fan.

长期以来，YouTube右翼用户长期以来一直吹嘘他们同尹锡悦的友谊，此前他们当中的数十人受邀参加了尹锡悦2022年的就职典礼。在拙劣的戒严令之后，尹锡悦明确表示，自己是这些人的忠实粉丝。

2022年，尹锡悦在就职典礼上。

“I am watching your struggle in real time through YouTube livestreaming,” Mr. Yoon said in a message to his supporters gathered outside his home on New Year’s Day. “Our country is in danger because of anti-state​ forces running amok, as well as forces in and outside who violate our sovereignty.”

“我正在通过YouTube直播实时观看你们的斗争，”元旦当天，尹锡悦向聚集在他家门外的支持者们发信息说。“我们的国家处于危险之中，因为反国家势力横行，国内外势力在侵犯我们的主权。”

​During a rally on Wednesday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer who ​serves as Mr. Yoon’s spokesman, thanked right-wing YouTubers there and called the investigators trying to detain Mr. Yoon “a front” for the opposition.

在周三的集会上，尹锡悦的发言人、律师石东炫（音）向在场的YouTube右翼用户表示感谢，并称试图拘留尹锡悦的调查人员是反对派的“幌子”。

“This is war,” he said​. “And you are warriors.”

“这是战争，”他说。“你们是战士。”

Like other democracies, South Korea has grappled with the role of social media in shaping politics​. About 53​ percent of South Koreans say they ​consume news on YouTube, higher than an average of 30​ percent in ​46 countries​ surveyed, according to a 2023 report by Korea Press Foundation. ​

与其他民主国家一样，韩国一直在努力应对社交媒体在塑造政治方面的作用。韩国新闻基金会2023年的报告显示，约53%的韩国人表示，他们在YouTube上看新闻，高于46个接受调查国家30%的平均水平。

Analysts worry that algorithm-fueled information bubbles, with people continually served more of the type of content they have expressed interest in by watching, are helping divide the nation.​ The language and conspiracy theories Mr. Yoon and his supporters adopted mirror ​those purveyed by right-wing YouTubers, said Hong Sung-guk, a former lawmaker and columnist.

分析人士担心，算法催生了信息泡沫——人们通过观看，暴露自己的兴趣，从而不断获得更多这方面的内容——而这正在助长国家的分裂。前议员、专栏作家洪成国（音）说，尹锡悦及其支持者使用的语言和阴谋论与YouTube右翼用户如出一辙。

“Yoon’s ​is likely the world’s first ​insurrection instigated by algorithm addictions,” Mr. Hong said.

“尹锡悦的行动很可能是世界上第一起由算法成瘾引发的叛乱，”洪成国说。

12月，尹锡悦宣布戒严后，军车抵达位于首尔的国民大会。检察官指控尹锡悦下令军队占领国会，犯有叛乱罪。

A dozen participants in a recent pro-Yoon rally interviewed for this article were all firm believers in the conspiracy theories​, saying that right-wing YouTubers were their primary or only source of news.

在最近一次支持尹锡悦的集会上，十几名参与者就本文接受了采访，他们都是阴谋论的坚定信徒，他们说YouTube右翼用户是他们主要或唯一的新闻来源。

“They speak the truth,” said Kim Jae-seung, 72. “I no longer read newspapers or turn on TV. They are full of bias.”

“他们说的是真话，”72岁的金在承（音）说。“我不再看报纸，也不再看电视。它们充满了偏见。”

Kim Yong-son, 70, pulled out his battered smartphone to show a video clip that depicted the progressive leaders as ​hellbent on undermining South Korea’s alliance with the United States and colluding with North Korea and China — viral content created by the popular right-wing pastor, the Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon.

70岁的金永善（音）拿出破旧的智能手机，播放了一段视频。视频中称进步派领导人执意破坏韩国与美国的联盟，并与朝鲜和中国勾结。这是受欢迎的右翼牧师全光焄创作的热转内容。

In 1980, Chun Doo-hwan, the leader of the military junta that ruled the country at the time, ​justified imposing martial law by citing the threats from “North Korean puppets” and “dangerous elements” at home.

1980年，当时统治韩国的军政府领导人全斗焕以国内“朝鲜傀儡”和“危险分子”的威胁为由，宣布实施戒严令。

As his own political troubles deepened in the wake of scandals ​and disaster, Mr. Yoon aligned himself more openly with the radicalized political right. He accused unfriendly ​journalists of spreading “fake news” and called his political enemies subscrib​ers to “Communist totalitarianism.” ​He even appointed a right-wing YouTuber as head of the center for training government officials.

随着丑闻和灾难接踵而至，尹锡悦的政治麻烦不断加深，他更公开地与激进的政治右翼结盟。他指责不友好的记者传播“假新闻”，称政敌是“共产主义极权主义”的拥护者。他甚至任命了一名YouTube右翼用户担任政府官员培训中心的负责人。

​Long before Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial law, some of the right-wing YouTubers had urged him to take such an action to deal with his domestic enemies. They also spread sinophobia, hinting that China was a secret manipulator of domestic politics in South Korea, including its elections. Rallies of his supporters often ring with calls for “expelling Chinese.” Mr. Yoon raised fears of Chinese spies while defending his martial law.

早在尹锡悦宣布戒严之前，一些YouTube右翼用户就敦促他采取这样的行动，以对付国内的敌人。它们还传播恐华情绪，暗示中国是韩国国内政治（包括选举）的秘密操纵者。他的支持者集会上经常响起“驱逐中国人”的呼声。尹锡悦在为自己的戒严令辩护时，也提出了对中国间谍的担忧。

Mr. Yoon and right-wing YouTubers ​also argue that election results in South Korea are no longer trustworthy. ​Pro-Yoon supporters often carry signs saying “Stop the Steal​,” ​borrowing a term made popular by people in the United States who falsely claimed that the ballot count for the 2020 presidential election was manipulated against Mr. Trump.​ One of them, Shin Eun-ju, 52,​ said​ she believed the vote fraud theory, citing “YouTube” as her source.

尹锡悦和YouTube右翼用户还认为，韩国的选举结果已不再可信。尹锡悦的支持者经常举着写有“停止偷窃”的标语，这是借用了一些美国人传播的说法，他们错误地声称2020年总统大选的选票统计受到了不利于特朗普的操纵。其中，52岁的申恩珠（音）说，她相信投票舞弊的说法，并援引“YouTube”作为消息来源。

周五，路障将警察和尹锡悦支持者隔开。

The police and prosecutors, as well as the election authorities, have long dismissed the allegation as groundless. ​But when Mr. Yoon declared martial law, he also sent troops to the National Election Commission​ to investigate allegations of vote fraud. Military officers involved in his martial law decree had instructions, prosecutors said, to confiscate the commission’s computer servers and detain senior election ​monitors, tying, blindfolding and taking them to an underground military bunker for questioning​ about election fraud. (Martial law ended before any computers were seized or people taken away.)

警方、检察官以及选举机构长期以来都认为这一指控毫无根据。但在宣布戒严令时，尹锡悦还向全国选举委员会派出了军队，调查有关选举舞弊的指控。检察官说，参与戒严令执行的军官接到指示，要没收选举委员会的电脑服务器，拘捕高级选举监督员，将他们捆绑、蒙眼，带到地下军事掩体，就选举舞弊问题进行审问。（戒严令在没收电脑或带走人员之前就结束了。）

Mr. Yoon and his lawyers have not commented on specific allegations, and they have broadly denied allegations of insurrection, calling his acts the legitimate exercise of presidential power.

尹锡悦和他的律师没有就具体指控发表评论，他们基本上否认了有关叛乱的指控，称他的行为是合法行使总统权力。

“It’s clear that the president lost his mind to outlandish vote-fraud conspiracy theories while watching low-quality YouTube channels,” said Cho Gab-je, a prominent conservative journalist.

“很明显，总统在观看低质量的YouTube频道时，被离奇的选举欺诈阴谋论迷惑了，”著名保守派记者赵甲济说。

Mr. Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, said the allegations of rigged elections were strong and divisive enough to merit an investigation.

尹锡悦的律师尹甲根（音）表示，有关操纵选举的指控非常严重，足以引发分裂，值得进行调查。

Google Korea said it manages YouTube contents according to its community guidelines.

谷歌韩国表示，他们根据社区指导方针管理YouTube的内容。

Ironically, it was also YouTube ​that helped news of Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial law go viral on the night of Dec. 3, prompting citizens to rush to the National Assembly to delay the advance of troops and buy time for opposition lawmakers to vote down the martial law.

具有讽刺意味的是，去年12月3日晚，尹锡悦宣布戒严的消息也在YouTube上疯传，促使市民涌向国民大会，延缓军队的推进，为反对派议员投票否决戒严争取了时间。

“It was a clash between the different roles of algorithms,” Mr. Hong said. “Algorithms help information go viral, but also help make you a slave to it.”

“这是算法不同角色之间的冲突，”洪成国说。“算法帮助信息传播，但也让你成为信息的奴隶。”