SEOUL-- The anti-corruption investigation agency on Monday requested the prosecution indict former spy chief Park Jie-won on charges of spreading false information about President Yoon Suk-yeol before this year's presidential election.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), however, dropped charges against him of inciting a whistleblower to tip off an online news outlet for a series of supposed hit pieces on Yoon.

On Sept. 13, Yoon, then a presidential contender of the opposition People Power Party (PPP), and his campaign team filed a complaint against Park, claiming the then-director of the National Intelligence Service colluded with the whistleblower to influence the March 9 presidential election.

News outlet Newsverse reported a series of stories that month, alleging that when Yoon was prosecutor general, prosecutor Son Jun-sung secretly asked PPP Rep. Kim Woong, just before the general elections in April 2020, to file a complaint against three pro-government figures for their alleged involvement in damning news reports about Yoon's wife.

Two days later, Yoon's team lodged an additional complaint against Park, after he spoke in an interview in the same month about a past case in which Yoon is alleged to have given favors to a former senior tax official.

The official, the brother of a close aide to Yoon, was accused of taking bribes in exchange for favors to a businessman who was under tax investigation in 2010-11.

The prosecution dropped charges against the official in 2015. There were allegations Yoon used his influence to help him avoid prosecution.

The prosecution looked into the allegations and dropped charges against Yoon in December.

In the interview, Park said Yoon influenced the case and that he was in possession of related materials.

The CIO concluded Park's remarks were false and requested the prosecution indict him on charges of spreading misinformation and defaming Yoon's reputation. The CIO can investigate but can't indict an NIS chief.

But the agency dismissed the accusation of collusion with the whistleblower, then a PPP member, saying there was no evidence of Park's involvement.

On May 4, the CIO indicted Son on charges of leaking official secrets and violations of election laws and referred Kim to the prosecution for possible indictment on similar charges.

The agency dropped charges against Yoon and Han Dong-hoon, now justice minister, in the case.

Source: Yonhap News Agency