Mandate on opinion-rigging scandal finalized
By Lee Kyung-min
A mandate on a special counsel team has taken shape, following the passage of the bill governing the investigation of an online opinion-rigging scandal, masterminded by an influential blogger known by the username Druking. The man, 49, said he used an automated software macro to increase the number of “likes” or “dislikes” for online comments to help then-candidate Moon Jae-in in the lead-up to last May's presidential election.
The blogger said Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a key aide to President Moon and the central figure in the scandal, failed to provide a “due quid pro quo” after having him and his online community orchestrate months-long online campaigns to boost Moon's popularity. The man asked one of his team members to be “awarded” with a post to a consulate in Japan, a demand Kim dismissed.
Kim, who plans to run for the South Gyeongsang Province governorship in the upcoming June 13 local elections, has flatly denied the allegation, calling the claim “preposterous.” It remains to be seen whether the scandal will continue to undermine the high popularity of the Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling party ahead of the June 13 local elections.
Under the mandate, the team will be allowed a 20-day preparation period. An investigation of up to 90 days will be granted if the team seeks a one-time 30-day extension after a 60-day investigation period expires. The final go-ahead on the extension requires approval of the President. It stipulates the Korea Bar Association recommend four individuals to the opposition parties, which will then recommend two of them to the President, who must choose either of them. The special counsel will lead the team comprised of three assistant counsels, 13 prosecutors, 35 investigators and 35 civil servants.
The primary objective will be uncovering the degree to which the blogger and his online followers were involved in the alleged opinion-rigging. Suspicious financial transactions and other unlawful activities will all come under investigative scrutiny.
The scandal emerged last month, following the detention of three registered DPK members in connection to the police investigation. Police discovered Druking's team increased the number of “likes” to 600 for two online comments that criticized President Moon for forming a unified female ice hockey team for South and North Korea on Jan. 17. The investigative authorities initially suspected the act as a political move to undermine Moon's soaring approval rating following the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but further investigation uncovered a connection to Rep. Kim.
At the time, Kim admitted to exchanging messages with the blogger through Telegram, a social networking system, but said it was to express appreciation for his and his team's efforts to boost Moon's popularity, adding they were mere courtesy calls. He also said the blogger was acting out against the President because his recommendations for the high-ranking government post in return for his “election campaigning efforts” went unanswered.