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Park cuts off calls to intervene in probe on NIS

By Choi He-suk

President Park Geun-hye on Monday commented for the first time on the National Intelligence Service’s alleged election interference, denying any involvement or knowledge of related developments.

Responding to a letter from Democratic Party chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil, in which he called on her to aid the launch of the parliamentary investigation into the NIS, Park said that she had no part in related issues.

“During the presidential campaign, (I) received no help from the NIS, nor did the NIS provide any,” Park was quoted as saying by Senior Secretary for Public Relations Lee Jung-hyun. She also said that she had no idea why the NIS took such actions.

“But, if there are such problems with the NIS, then there is a need for all suspicions to be addressed in front of the public. However, that process is not something the president should be involved in. It is something the National Assembly needs to discuss.”

The NIS is alleged to have interfered in last year’s presidential election through an online campaign designed to sway the public against then-presidential candidate Rep. Moon Jae-in of the DP, then named the Democratic United Party.

Former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan have since been indicted for violating the election law.

Although the DP and the ruling Saenuri Party had agreed to conduct a parliamentary investigation into the NIS, the two sides have been wrangling over its timing.

The DP has been calling for an immediate launch, while the Saenuri Party argues that all related issues, including the alleged human rights violation carried out by DP officials, must first be investigated fully by the prosecutors.

On Monday, Kim sent a letter to the president urging her to push the parliamentary investigation through, saying that it was the only way to clarify the situation.

“The parliamentary investigation must begin immediately -- not an investigation to shake the president, but an investigation to uphold democracy and constitutional order,” Kim said.

He also wrote that the NIS’ actions have cast a shadow on the legitimacy of the election, and that the parliamentary investigation was the only way to address the situation.  

“Korea’s democracy will face an even direr situation if the National Assembly’s June session ends while the president’s silence continues and the ruling party dishonors the agreement to hold the parliamentary investigation.”

Kim urged her to make a decision to “uphold democracy,” saying that the DP will be “forced to fight” if she does not take action leading to the launch of the investigation.

While saying that he did not doubt that Park had no knowledge of NIS’ actions, Kim called on her to publicly apologize for referring to the developments as an issue of human rights for the NIS agent.

When the DP was alerted to the possibility of the NIS conducting an online campaign against Moon, officials of the main opposition camped outside an NIS agent’s residence. Actions taken by DP officials prevented the agent from leaving her home for more than a day, prompting the Saenuri Party to retaliate by accusing the opposition of violating her human rights.

As the main opposition turn ups the heat over the NIS election interference, the ruling Saenuri Party is hitting back with allegations that late former President Roh Moo-hyun denied the validity of the de facto inter-Korean sea border in the West Sea.

The allegations were first raised in the run up to last year’s presidential election when Saenuri Party lawmakers claimed that Roh dismissed the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea during the 2007 inter-Korean summit.

The issue appeared to have blown over until last week, when Saenuri Party lawmakers including Rep. Suh Sang-kee viewed excerpts from the minutes of the summit and claimed that Roh’s denial was confirmed. (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)