'NIS officials intervened in presidential poll'

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Police concluded Thursday that two agents of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) attempted to influence the presidential election results last year by posting messages against an opposition party candidate on Internet chat sites.

They requested the prosecution to indict the two, along with a citizen identified by only his last name Lee, for violations of the NIS Law which prohibits the spy agency’s staffers from intervening in politics.

Police said that the 42-year-old colluded with the agents.

A 28-year-old member of the NIS identified by her last name Kim was questioned after it was established that she posted messages from an officetel in southern Seoul.

She had posted the messages to discredit Moon Jae-in, a former presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) from August to mid December.

The other NIS staffer identified as Lee, was also accused of posting messages against the opposition party candidate.

They allegedly posted the messages on Internet chat rooms or forum sites to create negative public opinion about Moon.

They have consistently denied the allegations.

Police requested the prosecution to investigate a senior NIS official who is suspected of overseeing the spy agency’s alleged operation to influence the presidential election. They requested him to show up for questioning, but he rejected the call. Police said they were not in a position to comment on whether the senior NIS official violated the law.

It remains to be seen whether the prosecution will indict the four following the referrals by police.