On the evening of February 27, 2026, South Korea’s political scene is set for an extraordinary spectacle: a high-stakes, no-holds-barred debate on election fraud between Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, and Jeon Han-gil, a Korean history instructor turned hardline YouTuber. The event, which will be broadcast live on the conservative media outlet Pen & Mike’s official YouTube channel, has already attracted widespread attention—and not just for its fiery subject matter.
This debate, scheduled to begin at 6 PM, is the culmination of weeks of escalating tension and public sparring between the two figures. According to bnt, the idea originated earlier this month when Lee Jun-seok, frustrated by persistent conspiracy theories regarding election fraud, declared at a party leadership meeting, “I will create an opportunity to put an end to the antics of election fraud conspiracy theorists in one fell swoop.” He then publicly challenged Jeon Han-gil to a debate, a proposal Jeon accepted on February 6.
But the lead-up to the event has been anything but smooth. The two men are currently embroiled in a legal dispute: Jeon Han-gil has accused Lee Jun-seok of winning his National Assembly seat in the 2024 general election through fraud, while Lee has responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against Jeon. As reported by Chosun Ilbo, Jeon is scheduled to appear for police questioning at Seoul’s Dongjak Police Station at 12:30 PM on the very day of the debate—just five hours before the live broadcast.
Jeon did not mince words about the situation. On his own YouTube channel, he posted, “Lee Jun-seok, after calling for a debate, made it so I have to attend a police investigation on the day of the debate. Has he always done politics this way?” He further claimed, “If I am arrested or detained, it will be clear to everyone that Lee Jun-seok and Lee Jae-myung are working together for political retaliation and to cover up election fraud.”
Lee Jun-seok, for his part, was quick to fire back on Facebook. He accused Jeon of “laying the groundwork to skip the debate” and mocked, “I understand you might be afraid to go to the police after being abroad, but just go and get it over with.” He added, “There has never been a case where the police wouldn’t reschedule a defamation investigation. Jeon is basically giving up and deliberately going to the police to make an excuse.”
All this drama has only heightened the anticipation surrounding the debate itself. The format is as unconventional as the participants. According to JoongAng Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun, the event will be split into two parts: the first will last two hours and thirty minutes, while the second will continue for as long as both sides wish—potentially stretching deep into the night. There is no official time limit, and the only hard rule is that if either side repeats the same argument more than five times, the moderator has the authority to forcibly end the proceedings. After four hours and thirty minutes, the moderator will check every thirty minutes if the participants wish to continue.
Lee Jun-seok will face Jeon Han-gil’s team alone. While Lee stands solo, Jeon’s side will be bolstered by at least two confirmed allies—PD Lee Young-don and lawyer Park Joo-hyun—with the possibility of a fourth joining. As Chosun Ilbo notes, this “one versus many” setup is unusual, but Lee appears unfazed. He quipped, “I’ll participate in the debate alone. Even if Jeon brings not four, but forty people, it’s fine.” Lee also challenged other prominent conspiracy theorists, including former representatives Hwang Kyo-ahn and Min Kyung-wook, to join the fray, but as of now, only Jeon’s team has confirmed participation.
The debate will be streamed exclusively via the Pen & Mike YouTube channel, under the ‘Live’ tab. Organizers have cautioned viewers to avoid unofficial links to prevent confusion. The event is being billed as the “final showdown” on election fraud, with the Reform New Party stating the aim is to “completely end the social cost and confusion caused by baseless election fraud conspiracy theories.”
For Lee Jun-seok, this is more than a personal battle—it’s a crusade against what he describes as a chronic blight on South Korea’s conservative movement. On Facebook, he wrote, “For six years since the 2020 general election, election fraud conspiracy theories have been a malignant debt, a cancer cell, within the conservative camp. Instead of reform and self-reflection after losing elections, we have survived until the next election with conspiracy theories, and the end result was martial law.” The party’s official stance echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that the debate is intended to “completely end baseless election fraud conspiracy theories that cause social costs and confusion.”
Jeon Han-gil, meanwhile, is no stranger to controversy or the spotlight. A former Korean history instructor, he first gained political attention as a speaker at anti-impeachment rallies during the tumultuous period surrounding former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment. More recently, he has been a vocal supporter of Yoon, insisting on his innocence of all charges, and previously campaigned for Jang Dong-hyuk during the People Power Party convention.
As the hours tick down to the debate, both sides are making final preparations. Lee, ever the showman, compared his anticipation for the event to the excitement of a Korean Series starting roster. “I’m curious who the so-called conspiracy theory experts will be,” he mused online. “I look forward to seeing which handpicked representatives of the fraud-mongers will take the stage.”
For viewers, the stakes are more than just political theater. The debate has become a flashpoint in a broader struggle over truth, misinformation, and the future of South Korean democracy. With the debate set to run as long as necessary to address every question—and with both legal and political risks hanging in the air—tonight’s broadcast promises to be anything but dull.
Whether this marathon exchange will finally put to rest the persistent rumors of election fraud, or simply provide more fuel for the fire, remains to be seen. For now, all eyes are on Pen & Mike’s YouTube channel, where the fate of one of South Korea’s most divisive political debates will unfold in real time.