Spy agency officials intervened in presidential election: police

Police concluded Thursday that two national spy agents illegally intervened in the last presidential election by posting comments critical of the opposition party on the Internet closely before the poll.

Police have looked into suspicions that a female employee of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) tried to influence the Dec. 19, 2012 presidential election on behalf of the agency by writing more than 120 online posts about politically sensitive issues under multiple IDs months before the polls opened.

After four months of investigation, Seoul's Suseo Police Station defined the case as one in which two NIS officials, including the 28-year-old female, illegally attempted to manipulate the public opinion of candidates running in the election through the online activities.

Police also said it has sent the case to the prosecution with a recommendation that the two agents and a friend be indicted, in violation of the law that orders civil servants to maintain neutrality in elections. (Yonhap News)