SEOUL -- South Korea's former government intelligence chief Won Sei-hoon has been barred from leaving the country pending investigation into allegations that he had interfered in domestic politics while in office, government sources said Saturday.
Won, who served as the National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief under the previous government of President Lee Myung-bak, has been sued by several labor and civic groups for interfering in domestic politics by trying to manipulate public opinions ahead of last year's presidential race.
After his plan to leave Seoul Sunday for an extended trip to the United States was known, opposition parties denounced it as a deliberate attempt by the ex-intelligence chief to avoid the prosecution's probe.
According to multiple government sources, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which handles the case, has recently requested a government ban on Won's overseas travel, which the Justice Ministry has accepted.
The dispute arose after a low-level NIS agent was caught using various Internet identities to attack the then main opposition presidential hopeful Moon Jae-in in the lead up to the Dec. 19 poll.
Conservative ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye eventually won the race and took office late last month as the country's female first head of state.
"If he leaves the country for an overseas travel, it can only be to avoid being asked about questions raised in relation to several charges that have been leveled against him," the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) said in a statement.
DUP spokeswoman Kim Hyun said that Won's plan to leave the country less than three days after he left office can only be construed as an attempt to run away.
"It's unprecedented that a top government official who had access to the highest national intelligence leaves the country and stays overseas for an extended period of time," she said.
The opposition lawmaker said the ex-spy chief should be barred from leaving the country, so he can answer questions raised against him.
Won and the NIS have said there was nothing illegal about the agency's operations.
The minor opposition Progressive Justice Party also said that Won's plan to stay outside of the country can be construed as trying to help the incumbent Park administration. (Yonhap News)
<관련 한글 기사>
'고소·고발사건 연루' 원세훈 전 국정원장 출국금지
여론조작 등 여러 건 검찰에 피소된 점 고려된 듯
여러 건의 고소·고발 사건에 관련돼 있는 원세훈 전 국가정보원장에 대해 당국의 출국금지 조치가 내려진 것으로 알려졌다
.
23일 정치권에 따르면 원 전 원장에 대한 복수의 고소·고발 사건을 수사 중인 서울중앙지검은 최근 원 전 원장에 대해 법무부에 요청, 출국금지 조치한 것으로 전해졌다.
앞서 민주노총, 전국교직원노동조합, 4대강 범국민대책위원회는 지난 21일 대선 기간의 인터넷 여론조작, 종북·좌파단체 척결 공작, 4대강 등 국책사업 여론조작 등을 지시한 혐의로 원 전 원장을 검찰에 고발했다.
통합진보당 이정희 대표도 지난 19일 "국정원 여직원이 지난 대선에서 인터넷 댓글 달기를 한 것은 원 원장의 업무지시에 기초한 조직적 행위로 드러났다"며 원 전 원장 등을 국정원법 위반 등 혐의로 검찰에 고소했다.
이들 사건은 서울중앙지검 공안2부가 수사 중이다.
이에 앞서 야권은 원 전 원장이 24일 미국으로 출국할 것이라는 일부 언론 보도와 관련, 출국이 사실일 경우 5건의 고소·고발을 당한 원 전 원장이 수사를 회피하기 위해 도피성 출국을 하는 것이라며 당국의 출국금지 조치를 요구했다. (연합뉴스)
