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| Ok Do-gyeong, center, head of the military's Cyber Command, answers questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly Defense Committee, Tuesday. Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party claimed that the command, overseen by the Ministry of National Defense, illegally intervened in the 2012 presidential elections by taking orders from the National Intelligence Service. The ministry denied the allegations, saying it will launch an internal investigation. / Yonhap |
By Jun Ji-hye
Opposition lawmakers said on Thursday that the military's cyber unit helped the state spy agency exert influence on the 2012 presidential election by "retweeting" online posts containing negative comments about the Democratic Party presidential candidate uploaded by the agency.
Reps. Jin Sung-joon and Kim Kwang-jin of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) raised suspicions that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) played a role in originating and posting Internet messages critical of Rep. Moon Jae-in, the then DP presidential candidate, and that the Cyber Command was tasked with disseminating such messages in cyberspace during the presidential poll.
The Cyber Command was established in 2010 under the direct control of the Ministry of National Defense to oversee military cyber warfare and security.
The issue became political hot potato during a parliament audit and inspection, which began Monday, targeting the ministry and other government organizations. The two assemblymen voiced their suspicions during a National Defense Committee's session they attended.
According to Rep. Jin, agents of the Cyber Command retweeted messages uploaded by 10 Twitter IDs belonging to NIS officials suspected by the prosecution of intervening in the general election and the presidential poll last year.
The spy agency is already embroiled in similar allegations that it illegally interfered in the presidential election by staging a smear campaign with the objective of slandering Rep. Moon and other opposition candidates including the leading independent, Ahn Cheol-soo, who was also running for office.
The conservative candidate, the Saenuri Party's Park Geun-hye, won the election.
Former NIS head Won Sei-hoon is currently on trial for violating the Election Law. President Park denies that she received any help from the NIS.
Rep. Jin said that the messages retweeted by the command members were delivered to some 25,000 Internet users.
"We found it by looking into Twitter accounts used by soldiers in the Cyber Command," said Jin.
Such postings include, "We should prevent North Korean sympathizers from settling down in the South," and "Peace will come only after North Korea and its sympathizers disappear."
Rep. Kim Kwang-jin claimed it is a systematic and organized activity, rather than the activities of individuals.
On top of this, Rep. Jin presented evidence that the command was funded by the NIS.
"The command received 4 billion won ($3.8 million) from the NIS in 2012, and 5 billion won in 2013," said Jin, questioning whether the command is taking orders from the spy agency.
Commenting on the allegations, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin admitted, "Some of the NIS budget goes into the command." But he added, "Such money should be seen as national defense expenditure."
The minister stressed that the command was set up under law under the organization of the national armed forces and its relationship with the NIS is nothing more than cooperative.
However, in context of "reasonable suspicions" among the public that the NIS and the command posted online comments during a similar period of time, Minister Kim on Tuesday ordered military authorities responsible for judicial affairs to investigate the validity of the allegations.
The ministry said it will transparently present the results of its investigation.
The main opposition DP went all out to slam the command, claiming that the election interference by intelligence agents during last year's presidential poll was on the instructions of the administration.
"We will fight to the end to establish the truth and hold those involved responsible in order to revive the nation's democratic processes," said DP floor leader Rep. Jun Byung-hun.
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