Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a "Festival to Exterminate Communism" in front of the Chinese Embassy in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Anti-China sentiment is spreading among far-right conservatives here in Korea amid the martial law fiasco, as President Yoon Suk Yeol and members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) have openly insisted on China's alleged involvement in election fraud.

Since January, every Friday evening, around 50 to 100 protesters holding signs that read "No China" have marched along Myeongdong Street in central Seoul. The gathering, held under the banner of the "Festival to Exterminate Communism," takes place in front of the Chinese Embassy.

Most of the protesters are Yoon supporters, many of whom have participated in previous rallies, including those against impeachment. These protests have moved from the Hannam-dong presidential residence and the Constitutional Court to the Chinese Embassy in Seoul.

Pro-Yoon protesters waving Korean and American national flags with "Stop the Steal" signs in their hands chanted various slogans such as "Invalidate the impeachment" and "Xi Jinping out."

The event's organizer Kim Jung-sik, a former PPP youth spokesperson who claims "the election fraud is a fact, not a conspiracy," said, "Isn't China the ‘force behind the invasion of [Korea's national] sovereignty' that President Yoon has referred to?"

A supporter of President Yoon Suk Yeol holds a sign that reads "CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Out!" in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Feb. 3. Yonhap

The event comes amid numerous anti-China remarks made by conservative public figures.

Yoon first mentioned China out of the blue, in a public address on Dec. 12, while explaining the background of imposing martial law.

"Three Chinese people were caught shooting a U.S. aircraft carrier anchored in Busan by flying drones. Their smartphones and laptops showed photos of South Korean military facilities for at least two years," he said.

Then he also noted, "If the opposition party takes control of the country, Chinese solar facilities will destroy forests across the country."

During the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial, the president then brought up the conspiracy theory of China's involvement in election fraud, which had spread among far-right YouTubers here.

"We think this illegal election is actually very related to China," Yoon's lawyer Bae Jin-han said on Jan. 16, citing a report from Sky Daily, a small Korean media outlet, that stated "the martial law forces arrested 99 Chinese hackers at the Korean Civic Education Institute for Democracy."

However, such information has been confirmed false by the National Election Commission. "It is not true at all," it stated. The commission said 119 election officials were trained at the election training center, but martial law troops did not enter the said training center.

PPP lawmakers ignited rumors of China's intervention in a rally calling for impeachment.

PPP Rep. Kim Meen-geon did not provide any evidence when she claimed during a rally on Jan. 2 that Chinese nationals have voiced their support for impeachment "everywhere they go," while PPP Rep. Yoo Sang-bum wrote on Facebook: "A large number of Chinese people are participating in the pro-impeachment rally."

Experts say that anti-China sentiment is working as an ideology that unites Korea's far-right conservatives as politicians repeatedly reinforce anti-China sentiment in a series of public remarks.

"Whenever the conservative camp fails to reasonably lead politics, it has brought up North Korea as an excuse, but that is no longer effective," Kim Hee-gyo, professor of Northeast Asia Cultural Industries at Kwangwoon University said, "China eventually emerged as an alternative."

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol wave Korean and American national flags during a massive rally in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Jan. 23. Yonhap

Ha Nam-suk, a professor of Chinese language and culture at the University of Seoul warned of the danger of growing anti-China sentiment.

"In the past, China was included in the scope of the socially underprivileged targeted by a few far-right conservatives who emit hatred online, along with women, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community. But this time, China has emerged as the root of all evil and the target [to] overthrow [among conservatives]," he said.

"Chinese Koreans, Chinese nationals and Chinese international students could feel racism and a great threat to their safety," Ha added.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Korea told Yonhap News Agency, Saturday, "We oppose the unreasonable linkage of South Korea's internal affairs with China," regarding some domestic rumors of China's involvement in election fraud.

"Many people work, study, live and travel to each other's countries," the embassy said. "We hope that South Korea will ensure the safety and legal rights of the Chinese people in Korea."

"China has consistently maintained the principle of noninterference in domestic affairs," the embassy said. "The embassy believes the Korean people will accurately recognize the situation and make the right judgment."

"As a friendly neighbor, China wants South Korea to maintain safety, development and prosperity," it added. "This is valuable political support for the Korean side."