S. Korean spy agency admits election meddling

Agents co-ordinated efforts to smear left-leaning candidates on social media before vote

South Korea’s spy agency has determined that some of its agents tampered with the 2012 election that put now-disgraced conservative president Park Geun-hye into the top job over liberal Moon Jae-in.

In an attempt to keep a conservative in power, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that the agency attempted to sway public opinion using internet experts and social media, according to the BBC.

The investigation has also revealed meddling attempts under Park’s predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, who was president from 2008 to 2013. Park and Lee, both part of the same conservative political party and both caught in corruption scandals, were hardliners on North Korea.

The NIS investigation found that at least 30 teams of officials and internet-savvy citizens uploaded pro-conservative social media posts for two years before the 2012 election. Some comments called leftist candidates North Korea sympathizers.

“The teams were charged with spreading pro-government opinions and suppressing anti-government views, branding them as attempts by pro-North Korean forces to disrupt state affairs,” the NIS report said, according to the Guardian.

The spy agency determined in 2013 that some intelligence officers had been directed to post thousands of online comments about politics. But the new conclusions, fruits of a task force created by the spy agency this summer, make clear that the NIS was even more ambitious.

Park only narrowly beat Moon in 2012. She now stands trial on corruption and abuse of power charges, and could face life in prison.

Moon, who won a landslide victory in May, has pushed intelligence officials to focus on foreign affairs.