Police concluded Thursday that two National Intelligence Service 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 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.

“The investigation is not over yet. The police referred the charges that they have confirmed so far to the prosecution. The final results will be announced after a further investigation,” the authorities said.

NIS agent Kim had been accused of working for around three months before the December presidential election to slander opposition candidates and manipulate public opinion from her studio apartment in southern Seoul.

Kim claimed that she had never posted any opinion online concerning the presidential election but it was later found that the NIS agent conducted smear campaigns by making more than 100 posts using 16 IDs on websites to vilify opposition election candidates.

Kim also clicked the “approval” buttons on posts that supported the current government, the ruling party and President Park Geun-hye, but pressed “objection” buttons on other posts unfavorable toward them, according to the police.

(From news reports)