Investigation into 'Presidential Election Interference and Public Opinion Manipulation Allegations' Prolongs... Will It Affect the General Election?

Investigation Team Formed for 6 Months, 0 Prosecutions... Democratic Party Focuses on 'Involvement' Investigation
Completion Before General Election Practically Impossible... Prosecution May Face Backlash

As the prosecution's investigation into allegations of election interference and public opinion manipulation drags on, concerns are rising that it could affect next month's general election.

Seoul Seocho-gu Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 6th, the Special Investigation Team on Election Interference and Public Opinion Manipulation at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Kang Baeksin, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1) has been conducting the investigation with a team of about 10 prosecutors since September last year, but has yet to indict a single case, showing little tangible progress.

The investigation team is focusing its efforts on whether the Democratic Party of Korea was involved in the allegations of election interference and public opinion manipulation. If the party's involvement is confirmed, the Democratic Party will inevitably suffer significant damage. Conversely, if no involvement is revealed during the investigation, the prosecution could face a backlash.

The problem is that the prosecution is openly conducting investigations against the opposition party ahead of the general election, causing unnecessary misunderstandings. The likelihood of the investigation concluding before the election is virtually slim, so the prosecution's actions are expected to directly or indirectly influence the election.

Typically, the prosecution has conducted political investigations discreetly beneath the surface ahead of elections rather than publicly. However, this investigation appears to be heating up as related individuals are continuously summoned and questioned.

A representative from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office stated, "The election interference investigation team is clarifying a significant portion of the facts through the investigation, but this case involves creating a specific candidate frame just before the election to distort public opinion, which was reported through multiple media outlets, so it is necessary to verify this thoroughly. The scope and targets of the investigation are extensive, and considering the functions and roles of the media, we are collecting physical evidence, so it takes some time to confirm the full picture of the matter."

The prosecution suspects that Shin Hakrim, former chairman of the Korean Federation of Journalists and a former expert at Newstapa, colluded with Kim Man-bae in September 2021 to conduct an interview unfavorable to President Yoon Seok-yeol, then a presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and that this interview was broadcast through Newstapa on March 6, 2022, three days before the presidential election, in exchange for 165 million won.

The prosecution believes this interview was an intentional piece of ‘fake news’ aimed at shifting the focus of the Daejang-dong scandal from Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party and Yoon's rival, to President Yoon. They are investigating not only the circumstances and compensation related to the interview between Kim and Shin but also whether there was a ‘behind-the-scenes force’ involved.

The investigation team states that since the so-called fake news was disseminated through multiple reports, there are many subjects to investigate, which has prolonged the forensic procedures and extended the investigation period.

Within and outside the legal community, there are reactions that conducting only related investigations right before the general election could be burdensome for the prosecution in various ways.

A lawyer, former deputy prosecutor A, said, "The procedures to reach the points the prosecution wants to confirm are becoming prolonged. Since the targets include the opposition party and the media, which are sensitive for the prosecution to investigate, the investigation is dragging on, and it is questionable whether it is necessary to proceed with the investigation while bearing such burdens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.