Seoul, June 7 (IANS) The South Korean Democratic Party (DP) on Saturday called for a thorough investigation into a conservative education organisation’s alleged online opinion manipulation in the final days of the June 3 presidential election campaign.
In a written briefing, DP floor spokesperson Noh Jong-myeon said a “fair and urgent investigation is urgently needed” into the far-right group “Rhee Park School” to determine whether they were involved in manipulation of online comments and “far-right propaganda to indoctrinate children.”
“We will hold accountable any attempt to disturb our society by manipulating public opinion and contaminate the educational field with far-right indoctrination,” he said.
Last week, the online news outlet Newstapa reported that the education group, named after former conservative Presidents Rhee Syng-man and Park Chung-hee, has been operating a team of online commenters to sway public opinion in favour of then conservative People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and against Lee Jae-myung, the then liberal DP candidate who won this week’s presidential election, Yonhap news agency reported.
The team allegedly instructed its members to write online comments praising Kim as well as ones critical of Lee in a coordinated manner, according to Newstapa.
In response, the DP filed a complaint against the group, accusing it of election law violations and obstruction of business.
Earlier, the DP also launched a special committee to investigate the allegations.
Earlier on June 4, South Korean Police launched an investigation into a conservative education organisation accused of online opinion manipulation in the final days of the June 3 presidential election campaign.
Police had said it banned Son Hyo-sook, head of the far-right group “Rhee Park School,” from leaving the country, and raided the group’s office in Seoul to secure evidence earlier in the day.
–IANS
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