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국방부 조사본부의 사이버사령부 정치개입의혹 사건 수사가 그 범위와 깊이에 한계점이 있다는 지적이 늘어남에 따라, 특별검사제도를 도입해 철저하고 강도 높은 수사를 해야 한다는 목소리가 증가하고 있다.
조사본부는 10월부터 지금까지 수사를 진행 중이다. 당국은 사이버 사령부 요원들이 2012년 총선과 대선 때, 3만개의 정치관련 온라인 댓글을 작성한 것으로 현재까지 파악하고 있다. 비평가들은 조사본부가 사건을 축소하고 있고, 김관진 장관을 비롯해 사건과 개연성이 있는 고위 관계자에 대한 조사를 꺼려하고 있다고 주장하면서 조사본부의 수사의 공정성을 문제삼고 있다.
그들은 또한 조사본부가 국방부 산하 조직이라는 사실을 강조하면서 수사에 근본적인 한계가 있을 수 밖에 없다고 주장하고 있다.
김 장관은 지금까지 사이버 댓글 관련 보고를 받은 적이 없다고 주장해왔다. 하지만 지난 달 조사본부 관계자가 민주당 진성준 의원과의 면담에서 김장관이 사이버사령부 심리전단으로부터 작전내용을 보고 받았다는 취지로 말하면서 김 장관도 조사를 해야 한다는 목소리가 커지고 있다.
조사본부는 이달 말께 최종 수사결과를 발표할 예정이다. 12월 중간조사 발표 때보다 더 많은 정치관련 댓글이 발견됨에 따라, 더 많은 사이버사령부 요원들이 징계 또는 법적 처벌을 받을 것으로 예상된다. 현재 청와대 국방비서관으로 있는 연재욱 전 사이버사령관에게 어떤 조치가 취해질지도 관심이 커지고 있다. 그가 재직했던 2011-12년에 정치댓글 작성이 집중되었던 것으로 알려졌다.
(코리아헤럴드 송상호 기자 sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
조사본부는 10월부터 지금까지 수사를 진행 중이다. 당국은 사이버 사령부 요원들이 2012년 총선과 대선 때, 3만개의 정치관련 온라인 댓글을 작성한 것으로 현재까지 파악하고 있다. 비평가들은 조사본부가 사건을 축소하고 있고, 김관진 장관을 비롯해 사건과 개연성이 있는 고위 관계자에 대한 조사를 꺼려하고 있다고 주장하면서 조사본부의 수사의 공정성을 문제삼고 있다.
그들은 또한 조사본부가 국방부 산하 조직이라는 사실을 강조하면서 수사에 근본적인 한계가 있을 수 밖에 없다고 주장하고 있다.
김 장관은 지금까지 사이버 댓글 관련 보고를 받은 적이 없다고 주장해왔다. 하지만 지난 달 조사본부 관계자가 민주당 진성준 의원과의 면담에서 김장관이 사이버사령부 심리전단으로부터 작전내용을 보고 받았다는 취지로 말하면서 김 장관도 조사를 해야 한다는 목소리가 커지고 있다.
조사본부는 이달 말께 최종 수사결과를 발표할 예정이다. 12월 중간조사 발표 때보다 더 많은 정치관련 댓글이 발견됨에 따라, 더 많은 사이버사령부 요원들이 징계 또는 법적 처벌을 받을 것으로 예상된다. 현재 청와대 국방비서관으로 있는 연재욱 전 사이버사령관에게 어떤 조치가 취해질지도 관심이 커지고 있다. 그가 재직했던 2011-12년에 정치댓글 작성이 집중되었던 것으로 알려졌다.
(코리아헤럴드 송상호 기자 sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
<관련 영문 기사>
Calls for independent probe into cyber command rise
Critics point to fundamental limits in military probe under control of defense minister
By Song Sang-ho
Calls are rising for an independent counsel probe into cyberwarfare agents’ alleged illegal electioneering as the military’s internal inquiry has revealed limits in its scope and depth.
Since last October, the Criminal Investigation Command under the Defense Ministry has been conducting the probe, which has so far found that cyber agents posted some 30,000 politics-related comments online during parliamentary and presidential elections in 2012.
Critics have questioned the fairness of the probe, alleging that investigators are trying to downplay the case, while remaining reluctant to thoroughly investigate top officials including Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin.
Kim has so far maintained that he was not informed that the agents in question had posted political comments during the elections in violation of military rules on political neutrality.
But a CIC official told an opposition lawmaker last month that the cyberwarfare command had reported the outcome of its cyberoperations to Kim on a daily basis. This has reinforced speculations that Kim might have been aware of cyberoperations that opposition parties claim have affected the presidential vote.
The CIC official also revealed that the results of the cyberoperations regarding North Korea and neighboring countries had been distributed in a “black book” to 50 related government agencies including the Defense Ministry.
The ministry initially denied that Kim had been briefed on any cyberwarfare operations. But it reversed itself later, saying that parts of the black book were conveyed to the minister.
Opposition politicians argue that the military investigation authorities cannot investigate the case sufficiently and fairly given that the authorities are, after all, under the control of the defense chief.
“Minister Kim, and former and current cyberwarfare chiefs should be exhaustively investigated as they appear to have been informed of questionable cyberoperations,” the office of Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sung-joon told The Korea Herald.
“Given that the CIC is an entity under Kim’s authority, we wonder how much discretionary authority the CIC could exert over the investigation. This is why we are clamoring for a special probe by an independent counsel.”
Former cyberwarfare commander Yeon Jae-wook, currently a presidential secretary for defense affairs, and incumbent commander Ok Do-gyung have remained largely unscathed by the ongoing probe.
Critics suspect that investigators are trying to minimize the fallout for top military officials so as to prevent the case from taking on more political overtones.
In the interim report, which was announced last December, the CIC said Yeon was responsible only for “negligent supervision.” It only accused a lower-level official of encouraging his staff to post political comments in response to ill-intentioned cyberspace activities by North Korea and its followers in the South.
Critics also argued that the CIC appears to have limited the scope of its investigation. Although military agents might have posted far more comments that can be seen as “political” in broader terms, the CIC has been focusing its probe only on online postings about specific parties or politicians, they said.
The CIC is expected to announce the final result of its probe at the end of this month. Observers say more cyberagents could face disciplinary actions or prosecution on charges of violating their obligation to remain politically neutral.
By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
Calls for independent probe into cyber command rise
Critics point to fundamental limits in military probe under control of defense minister
By Song Sang-ho
Calls are rising for an independent counsel probe into cyberwarfare agents’ alleged illegal electioneering as the military’s internal inquiry has revealed limits in its scope and depth.
Since last October, the Criminal Investigation Command under the Defense Ministry has been conducting the probe, which has so far found that cyber agents posted some 30,000 politics-related comments online during parliamentary and presidential elections in 2012.
Critics have questioned the fairness of the probe, alleging that investigators are trying to downplay the case, while remaining reluctant to thoroughly investigate top officials including Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin.
Kim has so far maintained that he was not informed that the agents in question had posted political comments during the elections in violation of military rules on political neutrality.
But a CIC official told an opposition lawmaker last month that the cyberwarfare command had reported the outcome of its cyberoperations to Kim on a daily basis. This has reinforced speculations that Kim might have been aware of cyberoperations that opposition parties claim have affected the presidential vote.
The CIC official also revealed that the results of the cyberoperations regarding North Korea and neighboring countries had been distributed in a “black book” to 50 related government agencies including the Defense Ministry.
The ministry initially denied that Kim had been briefed on any cyberwarfare operations. But it reversed itself later, saying that parts of the black book were conveyed to the minister.
Opposition politicians argue that the military investigation authorities cannot investigate the case sufficiently and fairly given that the authorities are, after all, under the control of the defense chief.
“Minister Kim, and former and current cyberwarfare chiefs should be exhaustively investigated as they appear to have been informed of questionable cyberoperations,” the office of Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sung-joon told The Korea Herald.
“Given that the CIC is an entity under Kim’s authority, we wonder how much discretionary authority the CIC could exert over the investigation. This is why we are clamoring for a special probe by an independent counsel.”
Former cyberwarfare commander Yeon Jae-wook, currently a presidential secretary for defense affairs, and incumbent commander Ok Do-gyung have remained largely unscathed by the ongoing probe.
Critics suspect that investigators are trying to minimize the fallout for top military officials so as to prevent the case from taking on more political overtones.
In the interim report, which was announced last December, the CIC said Yeon was responsible only for “negligent supervision.” It only accused a lower-level official of encouraging his staff to post political comments in response to ill-intentioned cyberspace activities by North Korea and its followers in the South.
Critics also argued that the CIC appears to have limited the scope of its investigation. Although military agents might have posted far more comments that can be seen as “political” in broader terms, the CIC has been focusing its probe only on online postings about specific parties or politicians, they said.
The CIC is expected to announce the final result of its probe at the end of this month. Observers say more cyberagents could face disciplinary actions or prosecution on charges of violating their obligation to remain politically neutral.
By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
