By Jun Ji-hye
The opposition and ruling parties were divided Sunday over a National Assembly investigation into the spy agency’s alleged meddling in the Dec. 19 presidential election.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) demanded an immediate investigation into the case, while the ruling Saenuri Party called for prudence.
“There is no reason, legally or politically, to postpone a parliamentary investigation as the prosecution has finished its part. If the Saenuri Party does not cooperate, it means that it is an accomplice of the National Intelligence Service (NIS),” said DP lawmaker Shin Kyoung-min who chairs the party’s special committee established to investigate the allegation.
In March, floor leaders of both parties agreed to launch an Assembly investigation into the case after the prosecution completed its probe.
The prosecution last week concluded after two months that Won Sei-hoon, former NIS chief, violated the Election Law by ordering NIS agents to post online comments disparaging opposition candidates including Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo. Won was indicted without physical detention.
The ruling party is however deflecting attention away from the case by insisting that there should instead be an investigation into the DP’s alleged violation of the rights of an NIS agent when it attempted to raid her residence last December and prevented her from leaving.
“The party leadership has yet to draw a conclusion on whether we have to accept the opposition’s request. But we are negative about the issue so far as it has not been concluded yet whether Won systematically directed all of the NIS,” said Rep. Kim Tae-heum, a Saenuri Party spokesman.
Meanwhile, Pyo Chang-won, a former Korea National Police University professor who resigned in protest over the alleged cyber campaign last year, posted a petition on Internet portal Daum`s popular online forum Agora calling for a parliamentary investigation.
The petition has been signed by almost 48,000 people as of Sunday.