Internet Politics in South Korea: The Case of Rohsamo and Ohmynews

This paper examines the impact of the Internet on politics in South Korea. Many have noted the Internet’s political potential due to its versatile nature as a communication medium. However, recent studies are beginning to show the influence of the Internet to be more moderate than expected initially. South Korea represents a very interesting case because of its extremely high Internet penetration rate and its youthful democracy. Two specific cases – a political fan-club called ‘Rohsamo’ and the Internet news medium ‘Ohmynews’ – have attracted particular attention mainly because of their perceived pivotal role in the 2002 presidential election. In this paper the part played by Rohsamo and Ohmynews in Korean politics is examined. While the research does not support claims which place the Internet as a revolutionary political force, it shows that the Internet has the potential to be a major player in South Korean politics.