Seoul Mayor sues conservative ex-president for malicious smear campaign

By Lim Chang-won Posted : September 19, 2017, 16:11 Updated : September 19, 2017, 16:11

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon takes off his jacket before chairing a city government session. [Yoo Dae-gil = dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]


South Korea's former conservative president Lee Myung-bak will face a criminal probe after the mayor of Seoul sued him as the mastermind of a covert political smear campaign led by intelligence officials.

The suit came on the heels of an investigation into a political campaign by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to blacklist, gag and bring social disadvantages to outspoken figures and artists critical of the conservative government during Lee's presidency.

An internal NIS probe has been launched into wrongdoing by intelligence officials including ex-NIS chief Won Sei-hoon who was charged with political interference. The probe revealed NIS documents which contained action plans to slander Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a social justice and human rights advocate, and his family.

Park, who served as the mayor of Seoul from 2011, filed a complaint with prosecutors, accusing Lee, Won and nine other people of defamation and abuse of power.

There was no official comment from Lee, 75, a businessman-turned conservative politician who served as president from 2008 to 2013, followed by his political colleague and ex-president Park Geun-hye ousted for her role in a corruption scandal.

"I and my family have been the target of groundless slander," Park said. "The former president has abused his authority and status, shook the foundation of our nation, and damaged the root of democracy."

The spy agency has been accused of creating a watch list of 82 actors, film directors, columnists and singers for their critical stance toward the Lee administration. It is suspected of peddling influence on public broadcasters to exclude them from the mainstream media. In particular, intelligence officials allegedly pulled the wires from behind conservative civic groups to post malicious online comments against the mayor.

 
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