Man behind state-sponsored protests to be grilled
By Jung Min-ho
Choo Sun-hee
A man behind state-sponsored protests organized under the two previous conservative presidents will be questioned over his alleged role in targeting liberal politicians and cultural figures, including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Wednesday that Choo Sun-hee, a former leader of the right-wing Korea Parent Federation (KPF), refused to show up for questioning, which was scheduled for 4 p.m.
The prosecution will set another date for questioning him. He is suspected of helping the Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak administrations influence public opinion in exchange for cash from the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
Earlier in the day prosecutors searched his home.
This comes a day after an in-house investigation body concluded the NIS had attacked the mayor and his policies by mobilizing conservative civic groups, including the KPF. The NIS noted it even created a five-page document titled “Countermeasures against Seoul Mayor’s Left-Leaning Policies” in 2011 to map out their action.
The KPF and other civic groups allegedly staged protests against the mayor according to the plans, attacking him with groundless accusations ― with the aim of gradually undermining his reputation.
The mayor has filed a complaint with the prosecution against former President Lee and NIS officials involved in the scheme.
Media reports first revealed the existence of the document in 2013, but prosecutors closed the case without indicting anyone at that time.
Lee Jong-myung, a former NIS senior official, will also be summoned for questioning Thursday over his role.
Prosecutors suspect Choo was also involved in creating a blacklist of celebrities under the Lee administration.
Celebrities, including actor Moon Sung-keun and comedian Kim Mi-hwa, have already spoken to the prosecution. They claimed they “felt” excluded from TV shows and other commercial activities during his five-year presidency.
One of the most shocking activities of the NIS during the period was creating a fake photo, in which actor Moon and actress Kim Yeo-jin appear to be having sex. Investigators are looking into whether the KPF helped spread the composite image online.
Last week, the NIS reform body disclosed the blacklist of 82 cultural figures, including movie director Park Chan-wook, singer Yoon Do-hyun, comedian Gim Gu-ra and actor Lee Joon-gi. They were all critics of the Lee government’s policies.
More people on the list and those who created it are expected to be questioned too.
Choo was also one of the most fervent supporters of former President Park, showing up in the streets every time she faced a political crisis. He has been accused of accepting money for such activities through the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), a business lobby group connected with the scandal that resulted in ousting Park from office.