Star Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil joins President Yoon supporters' group

Popular Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil has joined a group of supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol, saying that the leader’s “impeachment will be 100 percent dismissed, and he will immediately return to office."

Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil, whose real name is Jeon Yu-kwan, gives a speech at a rally opposing President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment near Busan Station on Feb. 1. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Popular Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil has joined a group of supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol, saying that the leader’s “impeachment will be 100 percent dismissed, and he will immediately return to office."

Jeon, whose real name is Jeon Yu-kwan, claimed that the liberal Democratic Party was “massacring” democracy and sinking “the liberal democratic Republic of Korea” in a message he posted on the official website of Yoon’s support group, dubbed the national defense team, on Wednesday. “Even if I suffer losses and face criticism, I decided to take action."

As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, over 58,500 members had joined the so-called national defense team's website launched Monday, of which some 3,500 joined after Jeon's post. Aspiring members must complete a real-name verification process and sign a petition opposing the president’s impeachment.

“The only way to save Korea, the generation in their 20s and 30s, and the people is to oppose Yoon’s impeachment and ensure his unconditional reinstatement to restore the national system,” said 54-year-old Jeon.

Yoon’s lawyers launched the national defense team on Saturday, with around 150 people — half in their 20s and 30s — gathering for its preparatory meeting at the Hanyang Building in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul.

The group which is recruiting supporters from the public is seen as an effort to rally support through petition drives and appeals ahead of President Yoon’s impeachment trial and the criminal trial set to begin on Feb. 20.

"If Yoon’s approval rating reaches 60 percent, the Constitutional Court will never uphold the impeachment, as it cannot go against the will of the people," said Jeon. "The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people, meaning the court cannot exist above them."

As of Tuesday, Jeon’s YouTube channel has 1.18 million subscribers. He has gained popularity among pro-Yoon supporters since he called the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 an “enlightenment order" and promoted election fraud conspiracy theories in a Jan. 19 video.

Jeon is a star instructor at MegaGong, a private education institution for Korean civil service exam preparation.

In December last year, MegaStudy, the parent company of MegaGong, withdrew from the civil service exam business, citing cumulative operating losses exceeding 60 billion won ($41.3 million) over the past four years and declining demand for civil service employment.

The company sold MegaGong to Next Study, a smaller education firm, in the same month.

Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police said Tuesday that they are investigating a man in his 40s for leaving a threatening comment on Jeon’s YouTube video.

“I am preparing a homemade bomb,” read the comment posted around 11 p.m. on Monday. “I broke down in tears after hearing Jeon say we must wipe them out. Twenty years could have been long or short, but now I will dedicate my life to this.”

The comment was left on a video showing Jeon giving a speech at a rally opposing Yoon’s impeachment in Busan on Saturday.

The suspect reportedly turned himself in.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]