North Korea is now issuing a constant torrent of abuse in the general direction of South Korea. Nominally in response to a South Korean military unit in Incheon putting a military slogan on a photo of the two Kims, North Korea has issued statements, organized a mass rally in Pyongyang and filmed soldiers with knives, more with guns and even military dogs attacking images of President Lee Myung Bak painted on targets. With South Korea moving into election season, public opinion is particularly tense.
The sinking of the Cheonan by North Korea two years ago helped arouse anxiety in the South Korean people, something which is said to have helped the leftist opposition win subsequent elections. In 2007, North Korea issued a New Year’s Joint Editorial explicitly designed to influence voter choices in that year’s presidential poll by drawing on links between the South Korean right and the ‘imperialist’ influence of Washington.
Recently, Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan Jin has warned of the potential for another Cheonan, saying, “Just as in the past, they will ambush us with a provocation when we seem to be off guard or in our most vulnerable state.” The South Korean government is known to be sufficiently concerned by the risks inherent in election season that it is preparing measures to deal with potential problems.
However, South Korean experts place greater weight on the possibility of cyber attacks rather than visible military provocations in this election year, primarily because of ongoing U.S.-North Korea dialogue and various events upcoming in April. (These include the ‘Day of the Sun’, a Supreme People’s Assembly session, People’s Army Foundation Day and, of course, the 4th Workers’ Party Delegates’ Conference.)
On this, former United Front Department operative and current president of online newspaper New Focus Jang Jin Sung told Daily NK, “Since the United Front Department always pays close attention to South Korean election season; it is highly likely that a ‘commentary team’ of No. 101 Liason Office operatives will be sent in. The 3rd Bureau of No. 101 Liason Office has more than 30 operatives well-versed in South Korean dialect and culture. They were once spotted spreading psychological warfare about ‘North Korean nuclear weapons being for South Korea’.”
These trained operatives spread false information online which is designed to defeat the Saenuri Party. Twitter, Facebook and other social networking services (SNS) have expanded the reach of their activities.
There are military units dedicated to similar ends, another former operative, Chae Myung Min, explained, saying,“The North Korean agents in charge of manipulating public opinion online are sent to China to conduct missions. When election season comes they go into large portal sites like Naver and try to seize control of public opinion. North Korean agents were very active during the presidential election for the late former President Roh in 2002.”
