Former President Lee to comment on probes into election meddling scandal against him

Former President Lee Myung-bak is set to explain his position Sunday over a flurry of probes into the allegations that the spy agency and military meddled in politics during his term from 2008-2013.

His aides have said that Lee would briefly comment on the investigations before he departs for Bahrain to deliver a lecture on South Korea's economic rise at the request of the Manama government.

His four-day trip to the Middle East was overshadowed by public calls to bar him from leaving the country pending the investigations. As of Saturday afternoon, some 3,000 people filed petitions online for a travel ban.

On Saturday, former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin was arrested over his possible link to the cyberwarfare command's online activities allegedly aimed at swaying public opinion in favor of Lee's conservative government.

Kim's arrest has triggered calls for Lee to face justice as speculation persisted that the ex-commander-in-chief might also be involved in the political maneuvering scheme, either directly or indirectly.

The National Intelligence Service has also been suspected of mobilizing operatives to post online comments in support of the former government, in an apparent breach of rules on political neutrality.

The probes into the scandal come as the liberal Moon Jae-in government conducts sweeping reforms under the name of "eliminating accumulated ills." But conservatives have dismissed the endeavors as "political retribution."

Lee has reportedly criticized the prosecution for burrowing into issues from a bygone era, saying, "The nation is bound by the past."

In a Facebook post in September, Lee chafed at the Moon government's campaign to redress alleged wrongdoings of past governments, saying that it would not only compromise national interests, but also end in failure. (Yonhap)