South Koreans take part in a candle-light demonstration demanding resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye

South Koreans take part in a candle-light demonstration demanding resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and calling for reform of national spy agency in central Seoul. According to local media reports, the spy agency’s former chief Won Sei-hoon, who served under the regime of former President Lee Myung-Bak, was indicted on charges of ordering an online smear campaign to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye before last December’s presidential election, in violation of the country’s election law. Park said on July 8, 2013 that the spy agency needs to set up measures to reform itself, local media reported. (Lee Jae-Won/Reuters)

Ex-NIS, Seoul police chiefs grilled at parliamentary hearing

Ex-NIS, Seoul police chiefs grilled at parliamentary hearing

Two refuse to take oath, deny allegations over election interference

Former chiefs of the National Intelligence Service and Seoul police took a battering from lawmakers Friday in a parliamentary hearing over their involvement in a smear campaign against the opposition during last year’s presidential election and subsequent cover-up attempts. 

Opposition lawmakers slammed Won Sei-hoon, former NIS head, and Kim Yong-pan, former commissioner of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, pushing them to open up about the scandal. 

They denied all allegations and traded harsh words with the lawmakers.

“I deny all accusations by the prosecution,” Won said during a second-round of hearings held in the afternoon.

Former National Intelligence Service Director Won Sei-hoon (left) and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Yong-pan attend a parliamentary hearing on Friday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)

Both attended the session only after the National Assembly issued an order of accompaniment in response to defiance to previous summons.

As the session opened, they refused to take an oath, saying their testimonies could negatively affect ongoing court trials.

They have been indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act. 

Won is accused of ordering NIS agents to engage in an online smear campaign to sway public opinion in favor of President Park Geun-hye, while Kim is alleged to have been behind the lukewarm police investigation into the case. Won is currently detained by the prosecution over a separate bribery case.

“Because of this incident, (I have) an ongoing criminal trial as well as the parliamentary investigation at the same time,” Kim said at the beginning of the hearing in the morning. “I chose not to take oath in concern of my testimony being distorted and misinterpreted through the media and that affecting (my) trial,” he said.

Rep. Park Young-sun of the main opposition Democratic Party bashed Kim that his refusal to take an oath was an “insult to the people” and shows his intention to “lie to the people.” 

But Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the ruling Saenuri Party countered that the parliament has to “guarantee witnesses’ basic human rights.”

Though not illegal, it is the first time that a witness has refused to take an oath before a parliamentary testimony.

Asked of NIS’ alleged meddling in the election, the former head of the intelligence agency said the comments posted online by its agents were a part of “anti-North Korea psychological warfare” and not to interfere in the election. 

Won also claimed that the NIS agents posting comments on state affairs were conducted even during the Roh Moo-hyun government when he pushed ahead with a free trade agreement between Korea and the United States.

Kim also selectively answered lawmakers’ questions and denied all accusations made by the prosecution against him.

The prosecution indicted Kim in June, saying that he allegedly pressured a police team at Suseo Police Station in southern Seoul investigating the NIS agents last year to hurriedly announce an interim result days before the election, clearing the agents of charges of smear campaigning. 

The district police said on Dec. 16, only three days before the presidential election, that no evidence of political interference by the agents had been found. 

Kim said he did not believe that the police made a false report at that time. 


By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)

Ex-spy agency chief denies meddling in election & refused to take an oath at the hearing of the National Assembly

Ex-spy agency chief denies meddling in election Won Sei-hoon, left, former chief of the National Intelligence Service, testifies during a hearing on a parliamentary investigation of the spy agency’s alleged intervention in the Dec. 19 presidential election, at the National Assembly, Friday. Another key witness, Kim Yong-pan, former Seoul police chief, looks on, who has been accused of scaling down a police investigation into the scandal. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-won Former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Won Sei-hoon denied allegations Friday that the spy agency intervened in last year’s Dec. 19 presidential election. During a hearing that was part of a parliamentary investigation into the NIS, Won instead said that agents posted written material on the Internet as part of its psychological warfare program against North Korea. He said he did not order his agents to launch an online smear campaign against opposition presidential candidates. “The postings by the NIS on the Internet were written as part of the anti-North Korea psychological war. They were not meant to intervene in the presidential election,” said Won. The prosecution indicted the 62-year-old close aide of former President Lee Myung-bak with physical detention in June, accusing him of interfering in the election by ordering officials of the agency to post thousands of missives on the Internet. Most of the writings criticized opposition candidates, including then-Democratic United Party Rep. Moon Jae-in and independent contender Ahn Cheol-soo, while praising ruling Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye who won the election. Won said that he expanded the psychological warfare department to cope with countering North Korea’s cyber attack bureau. “North Korea currently uses cyberspace as their base camp against the South. The Internet postings were written in this context,” he said. Won also said that he did not agree with the prosecution which indicted him on charges of systemically intervening in the election with the postings. He is in custody at a prison in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Won provoked reactions from lawmakers at the hearing by refusing to take an oath before testifying, citing an ongoing trial against him on the matter. It was the first time that a witness has made such a submission in the 65 year history of the National Assembly. Under the country’s law, witnesses standing trial can refuse to give testimony before a parliamentary hearing if they believe it will have a negative influence on a concurrent trial. Opposition lawmakers said that Won defamed people by not taking the oath. “Won defamed people. It shows that Won lied so many times before,” said Rep. Park Yong-sun of the main opposition Democratic Party. Former Seoul police head Kim Yong-pan also refused to take an oath before testifying at the hearing. He denied allegations that he ordered the scope of a police investigation into the scandal be reduced and whitewashing its results. “Due to this incident, a criminal trial is proceeding at the same time as a parliamentary investigation," Kim said at the beginning of the hearing after refusing to take the oath. “If the truth of my testimony is distorted or misinterpreted in the process of being disclosed through the press, this could affect (my) trial.” Eventually, Kim did selectively answer questions from lawmakers, denying all allegations against him. shosta@koreatimes.co.kr,

Ex-Seoul police chief refuses to swear at parliamentary hearing

A former Seoul police chief accused of meddling in last year's presidential election refused to take an oath at a parliamentary hearing Friday, citing an ongoing trial on the case.

Kim Yong-pan is one of two key witnesses in a parliamentary probe into allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) conducted an online smear campaign to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling Saenuri Party ahead of December's presidential election.

Kim, the then Seoul police chief, has been accused of reducing the scope of a police investigation into the scandal and whitewashing its results.

The other key witness is former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon, who allegedly ordered the online smear campaign. Both were indicted in June on charges of interfering in the election.

"Due to this incident, a criminal trial is going on at the same time as the parliamentary investigation," Kim said at the beginning of the hearing after refusing to take the oath.

"If the truth of my testimony is distorted or misinterpreted in the process of being disclosed through the press, this could affect (my) trial."

Under the country's law, witnesses standing trial can refuse to give testimony in parliament if they believe that will have a negative influence on their trials.

Still, Kim began to answer lawmakers' questions selectively, denying all the allegations against him.

Meanwhile, Won is expected to appear before the parliamentary investigative committee later in the day, said Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, the first vice floor leader of the ruling party, in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency. (Yonhap News)