By Lee Kyung-min
The prosecution questioned leaders of two groups over their alleged involvement in an online smear campaign led by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) under former President Lee Myung-bak, it said Sunday.
This is part of an expanding investigation into the spy agency after its in-house task force concluded it ran 30 extra-departmental teams to manipulate public opinion in the 2012 presidential election to help then conservative candidate Park Geun-hye and hurt her then-major liberal opponent Moon Jae-in. Park narrowly won at the time.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office questioned a man surnamed Cha who led a group comprised of Lee’s supporters and another surnamed Yang, 57, who led the group of retired colonels.
The prosecution is looking into whether the two maintained contact with, or were given directions, from NIS officials. It is also reviewing whether any form of financial support was exchanged in return.
Cha led the group, which was set up in October 2008 soon after Lee took office, and had since uploaded about 190 posts on his blog between August 2008 and August 2011. His posts mostly supported Lee and NIS activities and criticized then opposition parties and liberal civic groups.
The prosecution questioned Yang over whether his group, known for its conservative stance on social and national security issues, took part in spreading online comments which it deems advanced the members’ political agenda.
The questioning also followed the prosecution’s request with the Seoul Central District Court last week to delay sentencing of Won Sei-hoon, the former NIS chief standing trial on charges of orchestrating the smear campaign. His sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday and the court has yet to decide whether to grant the request.
The prosecution’s move came after one of its units opened an investigation into the allegation following the request of the NIS whose task force-written report showed the agency led such campaigns by hiring tech-savvy NIS officials and private citizens. Their ostensible task was for cyberwarfare. It spent 3 billion won ($2.6 million) in 2012 alone. The task force also found that it had put conservative politicians under surveillance for two years in the run-up to the 2012 presidential vote.
The request came on the heels of an intensified investigation into related figures a week earlier.
On Aug. 22, the prosecution imposed a travel ban on 30 leaders of the extra-departmental teams including former and incumbent NIS officials.
The next day, the prosecution raided the homes and offices of such individuals and most of them were questioned over the next three days.