Ex-president may face probe over spy agency's election meddling
‘NIS operated 30 teams to sway voter opinion’
By Jun Ji-hye
The former chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and some of its officers are expected to face another investigation by the prosecution after internal inspectors found evidence that the agency attempted to meddle in domestic politics and elections by manipulating public opinion from 2009 to 2012.
Their findings also raise the possibility that the prosecution could question former President Lee Myung-bak to find out whether he ordered the NIS to help conservatives win parliamentary and presidential elections.
An internal taskforce, set up to clean up the spy agency, said Thursday that the NIS under former Director Won Sei-hoon operated about 30 teams tasked with posting online comments to sway voters opinion.
former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon
The teams operated from May 2009 to December 2012 and were comprised of outside people paid by the agency. Their numbers were not disclosed but it was found that they used 3,500 IDs.
The NIS is suspected of spending tens of billions of won on various illicit operations ― 3 billion won in 2012 alone.
The taskforce was established July 11 upon the order of new NIS chief Suh Hoon. His order was in line with President Moon Jae-in’s drive to reform the spy agency that has long been accused of intervening in politics and elections to support conservative politicians.
One of the most controversial cases was the allegation that the NIS conducted a smear campaign against then-opposition party candidate Moon in the 2012 presidential election by posting negative online comments about him to help then-ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye win the election.
The latest finding by the taskforce showed that the outcome of the prosecution’s earlier investigation in 2013 into the NIS’s alleged 2012 election meddling was the tip of the iceberg.
In the earlier probe, prosecutors said Won, who took office in 2009, instructed NIS officers to use hundreds of online IDs and post about 1,900 comments on political affairs.
Won is currently standing trial for allegedly violating the Election Law and the law governing the NIS’s operations.
Legal experts say the taskforce’s new finding will considerably influence Won’s fate, though it will not directly affect his current trial, in which a court is scheduled to make a ruling later this month.
They say prosecutors are likely to file additional charges against Won, which would lead to a larger-scale investigation into the NIS’s alleged illegal activities.
Some officers who were allegedly involved in the 2012 case but avoided prosecution, are also expected to face additional questioning.
“We will continue to conduct a thorough investigation to reveal the whole story about the NIS’s activities to manipulate public opinion,” an official from the taskforce said on condition of anonymity.
Former President Lee has yet to make any comment.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea spokeswoman Kim Hyun criticized Won and Lee for not saying anything about the issue, urging them to “speak the truth before it is too late.”
“Lee should take responsibility,” she said.
People’s Party spokeswoman Kim Yoo-jung said, “It has eventually been revealed that Lee’s Cheong Wa Dae orchestrated Won’s election meddling.”
The conservative opposition Liberty Party of Korea (LKP) expressed its displeasure about the taskforce’s finding, claiming that it was a politically-motivated announcement.
LKP policy committee acting chief Kim Gwang-lim said, “The more important mission of the NIS is that related to national security and North Korea.”
He claimed the spy agency should stop playing to the media.