Esports legend Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has recently been pulled into the upcoming South Korean presidential election, after his iconic pose was used in promotional material by the candidate Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP).
T1 responds to the use of Faker’s image
The promotional post came out across the presidential candidate’s social media, with candidate Kim recreating Faker’s ‘silence’ pose.
On Facebook, they went even further by using an image of Faker performing the same pose, using a line previously used by the esports legend, and tagging him directly in hashtags.
As of yesterday morning local time, T1 issued a statement that distanced Faker from the candidate and politics in general, later stating that the organisation would aim to have the post in question removed.
However, T1’s statement has been met with criticism as some have pointed out that no person or organisation should be able to claim a level of copyright to a pose.
The aftermath
Commenting on the post, candidate Kim’s campaign team claimed, “This pose borrows from the ‘final declaration’ meme that has recently become popular among young people.”
Further adding, “It was intended to show the candidate’s firm determination and confidence in running for the presidency.”
Politicians trying to appeal to younger demographics is nothing new and has led to varying levels of success. This is also the case in South Korea, as the now-impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol also mentioned Faker during his campaign in March 2024.
Back to the original post, the hashtag of Faker was quickly deleted, with the post itself being removed soon after across all social media platforms.
Online reaction
South Korean fans and netizens alike have heavily criticised the presidential candidate for using such a beloved icon for his political campaign in an already heated political climate.
Some global fans have also come to the defence of Faker. Almost justifying candidate Kim’s strategy with how featuring such a figure could be beneficial to any campaign.
However, the majority have called for Kim Moon-soo to keep the global superstar out of politics. Commending the team’s efforts to remove the post and distance themselves from the election.
Meanwhile, many other global fans are left confused as they’re unfamiliar with the current political climate, which dates back over six months.
Context of the South Korean presidential election
Political tension has steadily risen in South Korea since ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in December 2024.
This unprecedented event sparked mass protests from the public in the early hours of the morning.
In short, lawmakers were forced to fight their way into the National Assembly building against the South Korean military to remove then-president Yoon and lift martial law.
The following months saw public protests calling for the impeachment of President Yoon. Yoon was eventually impeached on December 14th that same year.
Further turmoil followed as the acting president, Han Duck-soo, was himself impeached, after claims of failing to properly promote an investigation into ex-president Yoon’s actions.
This was later overturned, with the acting president now promoting his presidential campaign after resigning earlier this month.
Now, South Korea is facing a presidential election, which is splitting opinions across the country. The current fractured climate has also been exacerbated by alleged foreign influence from neighbouring China.
In such an intense political climate, using a beloved and neutral figure like Faker for a presidential campaign has backfired for candidate Kim.
Having written for Esports News UK since 2022, I’ve cultivated an extensive knowledge of all things esports.
Covering a wide variety of topics during my time as an esports journalist, it’s safe to say I’m a jack of all trades, if you’ll pardon the pun.
