UPP group spread pro-North propaganda: NIS

Members of CN Communications, operated by Lee Seok-ki, the Unified Progressive Party representative indicted on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government, allegedly carried out an online campaign to promote its pro-Pyongyang propaganda, according to national security authorities.

The election campaign advertising company is also suspected of partly funding the Revolutionary Organization, an underground group of the far-left UPP accused of holding meetings and discussing ways to overthrow the government in case of an invasion by the North.

According to an official at the National Intelligence Service, Lee’s company formed a 20-member team dedicated to spreading pro-Pyongyang material on Internet portal sites and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The online propaganda team reportedly set a “100-Day Struggle Operation,” starting from July 1, during which they began an active online operation of posting complimentary remarks of the Kim Jong-un regime.

“Their performance on the online smear campaign was evaluated monthly, and those with poor performance records were required to submit a letter of ‘self-criticism,’” said one NIS official.

According to reports from the JoongAng Ilbo, one CN Communications (CNC) employee wrote about 120 postings on the liberal-leaning community Web site O-yu. Most of the 120 postings allegedly expressed support for Pyongyang and denounced the U.S. and Korean governments.

One CNC member described Korea in one of his postings as “worse than a puppet regime of the United States.”

In August, another CNC worker wrote on his Facebook page: “Korea is a colony of the U.S. Let’s realize the self-governance, democracy and reunification along with Representative Lee Seok-ki.”

BY YOON HO-JIN, KANG JIN-KYU [jkkang2@joongang.co.kr]