South Korea's military said Friday it has decided to continue an internal investigation into its alleged past intervention in political affairs through the first half of 2018.
The military is suspected of having mobilized the nation's cyberwarfare command to help spread politically charged messages, favorable to the previous conservative administrations and critical of the liberal opposition bloc, through the Internet.
The Defense Security Command, which has a mission to collect security-related intelligence and investigate anti-state activities, is also alleged to have intervened in politics since 2008.
This photo, taken on Oct. 30, 2017, shows Lt. Gen. Lee Suk-koo, the commander of the Defense Security Command, speaking during a parliamentary audit at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Critics claim that the military's political activities affected the outcome of the 2012 presidential elections here.
Following the launch of the left-leaning Moon Jae-in administration in May, the Ministry of Defense formed a task force involving civilians to look into the allegations.
The team's mandate was supposed to finish next Friday. But the ministry plans to extend it until March 31, citing the need for an additional investigation. It has also left the possibility open for extending the deadline again.
"The task force is carrying out an investigation in close coordination with state prosecutors," the ministry said. "(Its operation) is being extended by three months first because there's a necessity for additional investigation." (Yonhap)
