Prosecutors said Wednesday they have decided to appeal a court ruling that cleared a former chief of the state intelligence agency of meddling in the 2012 presidential election, one day before the deadline for filing an appeal.
Last week, Won Sei-hoon, former director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), was sentenced to two years and six months in jail for ordering agents to post online as many as
780,000 politically sensitive comments against opposition-bloc candidate Moon Jae-in the election.
The Seoul District Court ruled that the online smear campaign ahead of the Dec. 18, 2012 election had violated a pertinent law that strictly prohibits NIS agents from intervening in domestic politics.
The court, however, acquitted Won of more serious election meddling charges that could have a bigger political repercussion.
On Wednesday, prosecutors decided to appeal his part of the court ruling that cleared him of meddling in the election.
Prosecutors had initially demanded a four-year jail sentence for Won, accusing him of both charges.
Won, also a close aide to former President Lee Myung-bak, headed the NIS for about four years until early 2013, appealed against the suspended jail sentence on Monday, signaling another round of legal battle down the road. (Yonhap)
