South Korea’s conservative youth surge

On the first weekend in September, American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk spoke in Seoul, South Korea, at the Build Up Korea 2025 conference. Addressing the event’s more than 2,000 attendees, he said America and South Korea share a fight against communism and a future of “freedom and liberty.” He also linked South Korea’s conservative youth to a broader transnational movement.

“The phenomenon of young people, especially men, turning conservative is occurring simultaneously across multiple continents,” Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, told the crowd.

Days later, on Sept. 10, Kirk was assassinated in Utah. His death sparked a surge in conservative youth activism in the United States, bringing more than 200,000 new members to Turning Point USA, which promotes politically conservative Christian messages to young Americans. But the surge is also echoing globally: Today in South Korea, the student organizations Build Up Korea and Freedom University declare themselves the country’s own Turning Point and MAGA movements.

Build Up Korea was founded by Mina Kim, the host of MKim TV. The annual conservative South Korean conference has previously featured prominent MAGA figures like Donald Trump Jr. Kim says the network of 900 college chapters affiliated with Kirk’s organization inspired the Build Up Korea movement. The group’s conferences appeal to young South Koreans, discussing topics like the free market and limited government and equipping youth with what it calls “the right biblical worldview.”

“I basically copied the whole event that you hosted in America,” Kim told Kirk in September, referring to TPUSA’s AmericaFest.

Freedom University, a movement that began with students opposing the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was also present at the Build Up Korea conference.

“Since our organization came from campus, we felt sympathy with Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk. So when he got shot, we felt as if it was our situation,” said Sim Jae-hong, a Freedom University spokesperson. Sim said the group declared itself “Turning Point Korea” and organized a public memorial and marches in Seoul where thousands rallied under a “We are Charlie Kirk” slogan.

At Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned the South Korean rallies. Following the memorial in South Korea, Freedom University representatives traveled to Washington, D.C., met Republican figures such as former U.S. ambassador Carla Sands, and marched in front of the White House. According to Sim, Freedom University has inspired dozens of conservative student movements in South Korea.

Despite its admiration for TPUSA, the organization does not adopt a distinctly Christian identity, partly to avoid being framed as “religious fanatics,” Sim said. He added that churches organized and funded most South Korean conservative protests before Freedom University. The group has been vocal about what Sim called “political prosecution” of religious leaders in South Korea, including pastor Son Hyun-bo. Authorities arrested and charged Son with violating the Public Official Election Act in September after he allegedly endorsed political candidates and led “Save Korea” rallies against Yoon’s impeachment. Son remains in detention.

Park Jun-young, Freedom University’s leader, claims that authorities cracked down on religious leaders in an effort to suppress the church’s conservative voice, including on matters such as marriage and family. Park’s parents held influential positions in the progressive administration of former President Moon Jae-In, who held office until 2022. But Park has spoken publicly of his disagreement with his family’s left-wing political views. His conservatism reflects a growing frustration, particularly among South Korean young men, with progressive politics and feminism.

“The birth rate was already declining, and the gender imbalance worsening,” he said. “I believed Moon Jae-In’s administration would only make these things worse.”

In February, Freedom University held a nationwide campaign—with representatives from over 50 universities—opposing the impeachment of Yoon, Moon’s successor in office. The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment in April, citing insurrection charges and Yoon’s imposition of martial law that “exceeded the limits set by the Constitution.” Yet Freedom University saw the ruling as invalid. The group said Yoon’s declaration of martial law was legitimate given his concerns about alleged election fraud and activities such as Chinese spying.

“We witnessed the breakdown of the rule of law,” Sim said. “We could not just allow it to happen.” Freedom University marched in cities from Hongdae to Myeongdong, chanting and holding signs that read “Yoon Again.”

After Yoon’s impeachment, the group lost many of its student members, according to Sim. Yet Freedom University’s online following has grown rapidly, with more than 137,000 subscribers on YouTube and 88,000 followers on Instagram, where the group informs people about upcoming protests.

Members gathered outside the home of former acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Oct. 27, attempting to block investigators who were executing a search and seizure warrant related to insurrection charges. Hwang was arrested Nov. 12, but the court dismissed his arrest warrant two days later.

On Oct. 29, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Freedom University rallied to welcome Trump. Students marched and waved South Korean and American flags as police lined the streets. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was seen filming demonstrators as they carried signs reading “Do you know CCP?” and “Koreans Love Trump.”

The message was clear. South Korea’s conservative youth saw themselves as part of a broader global movement.

“We’re only students,” said Sim. “Who would have thought we would be at the front, organizing all these marches and protests? That was quite a shock.”