ED Jailed governor
People want to know Moon's role in opinion rigging case
The arrest Wednesday of South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo is a devastating blow to Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the close aide to President Moon Jae-in to two years in prison for his role in an online manipulation case that happened before the May 2017 snap presidential election following the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye for her involvement in a massive corruption scandal.
The court found him guilty of two main charges ― colluding with a blogger nicknamed Druking to sway public opinion in favor of Moon, who was running for the presidency as a frontrunner of the main opposition party; and violating the Election Law by offering a senior diplomatic post to the blogger's acquaintance in exchange for the activities. All in all, the court determined that Kim, who has adamantly denied any illegality in his encounters with Druking and just referred to him as a mere supporter, was deeply involved in the illegal opinion rigging operations on Naver and other major portal sites.
The governor may be stripped of his post if the verdict is confirmed by a high court and the Supreme Court. Before being taken to Seoul Detention Center, Kim said he would appeal. He said he was starting the “long fight” for the truth. It is questionable how much the public can side with his claims of innocence since a wide array of evidence proved he was engaged closely with Druking, giving his approval of the illegal cyber operations and attending briefings on them. He should speak only the truth about his involvement in the case from now on.
The online manipulation case involving one of Moon's most trusted aides has severely tarnished the reputation of his administration, which has always sought to differentiate itself from past corrupt governments. The case is reminiscent of an online smear campaign carried out at the initiative of former National Intelligence Service chief Won Sei-hoon during the 2012 presidential campaign. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party said the Druking case is even more severe than the previous online rigging case. Now more people are asking what the difference is between the Moon administration and previous ones.
Cheong Wa Dae did not say much about the verdict, but what many people want to know is Moon's role. The public wants to know if he was briefed about what was going on. Moon's continued silence will only fuel public distrust of his administration and the integrity of his campaign.
Some voters doubt the election outcome after the court's verdict that Moon's close aide initiated an illicit operation to manipulate public opinion during the campaign period. The act of manipulating opinion is a grave violation of democratic principles and must be punished severely.