Home of MB’s secretary is raided

The prosecution raided on Tuesday the home and office of a key national security associate of former President Lee Myung-bak as a part of its investigation into the military’s illegal domestic political operations during Lee’s presidency.

Investigators of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office raided the home and office of Kim Tae-hyo, former senior secretary for national security strategy of the Lee Blue House, and confiscated documents concerning his work as the presidential aide. Kim was suspected of involvement in the military’s illegal intervention in domestic politics.

The military’s Cyber Command was accused of ordering agents to manipulate public opinions in cyberspace by posting comments favoring the conservative president and denouncing his political opponents. Former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin was questioned and detained for 11 days as part of the probe. He was recently released after winning a court petition.

The prosecution barred Kim Tae-hyo from leaving the country on Nov. 14. During the questioning of the former defense minister, the prosecution reportedly obtained a statement that Kim accompanied Lee when the president made an order or received a report regarding the Cyber Command’s operation.

Kim was also suspected of acting as Lee’s messenger to the military. He reportedly relayed messages to the officials that the Cyber Command should recruit more agents favorable to the conservative administration when it expanded operations before the 2012 general and presidential elections.

The prosecution believes that Kim will be the key to revealing Lee’s connection to the military’s domestic political operations. Speculation grew that the prosecution would question Lee.

Kim, a North Korea and security scholar from Sungkyunkwan University, has worked as Lee’s key strategist for foreign and security affairs since 2004. He joined the Blue House in 2008, when the Lee administration began, as the presidential secretary for national security strategy and was promoted to senior secretary in 2012.

BY SER MYO-JA [ser.myoja@joongang.co.kr]