SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors yesterday charged the former head of the country’s spy agency with trying to influence last year’s presidential election.
Ex-director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Won Sei-Hoon is accused of ordering agents to post stories and comments under aliases attacking opposition candidate Moon Jae-In on popular websites.
Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Won broke a law that bans NIS staff from intervening in politics and breached another which prohibits government employees from taking advantage of their position to electioneer.
The prosecutor’s office added that it would not seek to have Won, who denies the charges, placed in custody pending trial.
Liberal opposition candidate Moon was defeated in the election by conservative Park Geun-Hye.
Won stepped down as head of the NIS earlier this year after four years in charge.
AFP
