Suspended Sentence in First Trial for Former Police Leadership Involved in 'Comment Manipulation' During MB Administration

Seoul Central District Court / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The former police leadership, indicted for involvement in online comment manipulation activities during the Lee Myung-bak administration, received suspended sentences in the first trial.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 33 (Presiding Judge Donghwan Son) held a sentencing hearing on the 18th and sentenced former Police Agency Intelligence Bureau Chief Kim Seong-geun to one year in prison and former Security Bureau Chief Hwang Seong-chan to ten months in prison. However, the execution of the sentences was suspended for two years. Former Police Agency Intelligence Review Officer Jeong Yong-seon, who was also tried on the same charges, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension, and former spokespersons Jeong Cheol-su and Kim Jae-won also received suspended sentences.

The court stated, "The defendants' actions violated several constitutional principles and are highly condemnable," but also explained the sentencing rationale by considering "that these acts were carried out under the strict hierarchical obedience within the police organization and under the orders of former Police Chief Cho Hyun-oh, and that the volume of comment manipulation was relatively small."

Former Security Bureau Chief Hwang and former Intelligence Bureau Chief Kim are accused of creating an internet comment team called 'SPOL' (Seoul Police Opinion Leader), consisting of about 100 intelligence police officers, while serving as Seoul Police Agency Intelligence Chief and Intelligence Section 1 Chief respectively in 2010 when Cho Hyun-oh was the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief. They are alleged to have regularly reported the results of comment responses.

Under former Chief Cho's orders, they are understood to have been responsible for the practical work of online comment manipulation, posting tens of thousands of pro-government and pro-police comments in online spaces. The police responses at the time were extensive, covering various issues such as the Cheonan ship sinking incident, Yeonpyeong Island shelling, foot-and-mouth disease, Kim Jong-il's death, the Yuseong Enterprise labor union strike, half-priced tuition, the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) ratification in the National Assembly, Hanjin Heavy Industries Hope Bus protests, and the Jeju Gangjeong Village incident.

The prosecution requested a four-year prison sentence on the 13th for former Chief Cho, who was indicted for directing these comment manipulation operations.