Opposition calls for new probe claiming special prosecution failed to verify mastermind


Special prosecutors investigating a cyber attack on the National Election Commission website during the Oct. 26 by-elections indicted on Thursday former presidential senior secretary for political affairs Kim Hyo-jae for leaking confidentiality regarding the probe to a prime suspect’s side.

The main opposition party demanded a parliamentary investigation, claiming the prosecutors failed to narrow in on the mastermind of the incident.

At the press conference by the team composed of independent investigator Park Tae-seok as well as 10 prosecutors and others, Park said Kim was indicted without detention alongside four others including two low-ranking Cheong Wa Dae staff, an Internet router management worker and an NEC staff member.

They said Kim had informed Choi Ku-sik, a former ruling party lawmaker, of the investigation and arrest of one of his aides, a prime suspect, on the day before the announcement. Two other presidential staff members were also revealed to have leaked the progress of the investigation to Choi’s offices and other influential politicians, breaking the confidentiality duty.

Two others were accused of lax website management and an attempt to whitewash the case in order to minimize their responsibilities.

The announcement came as the special prosecutors’ investigation wrapped up after fierce demand from the political opposition called for a more thorough and detailed probe into the Oct. 26 attack that shut down the website’s search engine helping voters find their designated polling stations on voting day. The attack on the constitutional institution is a serious felony.

During the initial prosecution investigation last year, a former secretary of Choi and his allies were arrested and indicted for conducting the attack. Former Police Commissioner General Cho Hyun-oh was suspected of leaking the information to higher-ups in the political circles Choi; former ruling party candidate in the by-election Na Kyung-won; former secretary of ex-National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae, and others were also suspected to have directed or supported the crime.

However, the Thursday probe team cleared all others. “No evidence has been found to support that a third party or higher-ups with financial transaction were involved,” Park said.

The main opposition Democratic United Party lambasted the report.

“We call for the ruling party to accept our request to hold a parliamentary investigation into the case. The result was an utter failure, allowing prosecutors, which held poor initial probe, a way out. The only option left is for the National Assembly to dig into the case,” the DUP spokesman Park Yong-jin said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)