Former National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyu-hyun, who is suspected of trying to influence the 2023 Gangseo District mayoral by-election in Seoul, appeared before police.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's anti-corruption unit on the 12th summoned the former director to the Mapo office as a suspect on charges of abuse of authority and violation of the Public Official Election Act and is under investigation.
The former director appeared before police at about 9:19 a.m. that day. When reporters asked, "What will you focus on explaining?" the former director headed to the interrogation room without answering.
The former director is suspected of improperly intervening in the election by being involved in adjusting the timing of the announcement and the contents of the report on the National Election Commission's security inspection results ahead of the Gangseo District mayoral by-election. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) issued an announcement on Oct. 10, 2023, the day before election day, saying that "multiple hacking vulnerabilities were found in the National Election Commission's ballot counting system."
Park Sun-won, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker and former NIS official, filed a complaint with police in Oct. last year based on a tip, asking them to investigate the former director and others. According to the complaint, a first report stating there were no security problems at the National Election Commission was submitted to the presidential office but was rejected, and then, led by the former director and others, a second report was prepared warning of hacking risks.
Police imposed an overseas travel ban on the former director and, in Jan., obtained and analyzed relevant materials voluntarily submitted by the National Intelligence Service (NIS).