The elderly vendor doesn’t speak English, except for one phrase. “I love Trump,” she says softly, smiling as she points to a row of glossy campaign buttons. Donald Trump’s face gleams beside mugs featuring South Korea’s recently impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, cradling puppies.

Nearby, a man in his 30s unfurls an American flag that billows like a sail. Placards reading “Stop the steal!” echo slogans from the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots. When the speaker — a man in his 50s wearing a red cap — ends with a triumphant “Amen,” hands shoot into the air like it’s a Pentecostal revival.

For a moment, it could be hard to tell what country we’re in, were it not for the Korean flags waving just as high as the American ones. We’re in Seoul , specifically the Hongdae area, better known for its

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