Archery national team member Jang Chae-hwan apologizes after controversy over election fraud claims

Jang Chae-hwan (33·Sasang-gu Office), the male national archery representative who claimed "election fraud" during the last presidential election through social media, officially apologized, stating, "There was no malice."

On the 17th, Jang Chae-hwan explained his change in political stance via his Instagram, saying, "I am from Jeollanam-do and have had a moderate-left tendency."

He further stated, "When former President Yoon Seok-yeol declared martial law on December 3rd, I was curious as to why it was declared in this era. My personal conclusion was that it is right to voice from a conservative right perspective for the future of free Korea."

Controversial social media posts and subsequent apology

Particularly, Jang came under fire for posting an image announcing President Lee Jae-myung's election confirmation, stating, "China = early voting manipulation = Jeolla-do = Election Commission. A disastrous collaboration result. Welcome North Korea~ Thank you, China. U.S. troops, don’t leave…"

He also shared a photo of his hand with voting stamps on the back and added, "Voting is a basic vote. Let's bring the abnormal to the normal. Let's stop the communist forces. Abolish communism."

As the controversy surrounding these posts intensified, Jang clarified, "I wanted to inform my close acquaintances about the current situation on my personal social media, and that is why I posted about election fraud and conservative content." He added, "I thought of myself as a second-string national representative, therefore, not a public figure."

Regarding expressions like "Abolish communism" or "CCP (Chinese Communist Party) OUT," he explained, "The term ‘Abolish communism’ is something every military veteran knows is written on the friend-or-foe identification bands, and 'CCP OUT' was posted with the hope that the Chinese Communist Party would withdraw."

Jang Chae-hwan expressed, "I felt very sorry that the Korean Archery Association and my team suffered public backlash because of me, and I wanted to at least provide this explanation. There was no malice. If there are those who are angry because of me, I apologize."

Meanwhile, Jang was selected as a national representative during the tryouts in March, but he could not place in the top four in the final evaluation, resulting in him missing out on major international competitions.

Image source: Jang Chae-hwan / Photo provided by the Korean Archery Association, Jang Chae-hwan's Instagram