Parties clash over opinion rigging probe
Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo holds a press conference, Saturday, to clarify the opinion rigging allegation against him. / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
The rival parties exchanged barbs, Monday, over opinion rigging allegations against Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), considered a loyalist of President Moon Jae-in.
Since the DPK nominated Kim as its candidate for the gubernatorial election in South Gyeongsang Province in June, the case may hamper the ruling party's election plan.
The scandal is further likely to complicate the deadlock at the National Assembly, which has already been paralyzed due to controversy over an alleged corruption scandal at the Financial Supervisory Service.
According to a news report aired Saturday, police arrested three former DPK members, who had kept in contact with Rep. Kim, over an online smear campaign and attempts to destroy evidence. In response, Kim promptly held a press conference and claimed he had nothing to do with the incident.
Kim said a liberal-minded netizen nicknamed “druking,” who was leading an online group for economic justice, approached him before the presidential election in May last year and later demanded the Osaka Consulate post, in return for the group's activities in favor of Moon.
“After the election, druking recommended a lawyer, saying he was qualified for the post. I delivered the recommendation to the presidential office of personnel affairs. However, the lawyer was not appointed since the office wanted a figure with diplomatic experience,” Kim told reporters Monday.
Kim speculated that this may have triggered the online community to write online comments against Moon. After the recommendation fell apart, druking “blackmailed” him, according to Kim.
Kim admitted that he met the druking a few times at his office in the National Assembly and the netizen's office in Gyeonggi Province. However, he denied direct involvement in his communities' online activities. “Individual citizens can express their political opinion. However, media reports that I orchestrated their activities are not true.”
The DPK leadership is defending Kim. “The DPK has made efforts to eradicate fake news and online smear campaigns. That's why the party requested an investigation into online smear campaigns against the ruling camp,” DPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae said.
“The authorities should reveal the real person behind those who rigged online opinions,” she added.
Party floor leader Woo Won-shik echoed the point. “There are three truths about the incident. First, the DPK requested an investigation. Second, the popularity of the ruling camp has decreased due to the opinion rigging case. Third, Rep. Kim rejected the netizen's illegal request to lobby for someone's appointment to a diplomatic post.”
Conservative opposition parties blasted Kim, calling for a special prosecutor's investigation of him. The largest conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) held a rally at the National Assembly to denounce the ruling camp's “constitutional crisis.”
“A special prosecutor's investigation and parliamentary inspection of the administration are necessary,” LKP spokesman Chang Je-won said. “Rep. Kim and druking exchanged over 30 pages of text messages. The authorities should confiscate Kim's mobile phones and recover the data.”
The third-largest Bareun Mirae Party (BMP) lawmakers visited Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to urge a thorough investigation into the case. The minor liberal Party for Democracy and Peace also indicated it may request a special prosecutor or parliamentary inspection if the authorities “fail” in their fact-finding.
Meanwhile, a former member of the disputed online community led by druking said in a radio interview that the group defined itself as a “secret society.”
“Druking believed in an ancient prophet and claimed our community was the chosen and the blessed,” he said. “Around the May presidential election, community members voluntarily decided to leave positive comments for Moon to win the election. However, druking told me that Rep. Kim was not favorable to our online campaigns.”
“After Moon took office in May, druking demanded the Osaka Consulate post but was flatly dismissed by Kim. Then he began to leave hostile comments about Moon from late 2017, using a computer macro program,” he added.