South Korean prosecutors raided the country's main spy agency Wednesday as part of investigations into two past North Korea-related incidents that drew criticism that the previous liberal government ignored basic principles of human rights to improve ties with Pyongyang.
New conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office in May, has accused his liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in of being “submissive” to North Korea and has moved to resolve persistent suspicions about the handling of the two cases. His push has triggered a backlash from the liberals who accuse him of political revenge against his rivals.
Wednesday's raid came days after the National Intelligence Service, now part of Yoon's government, filed charges against two of its former directors who had served under Moon. It accused them of abusing power, damaging public records and falsifying documents.
Prosecutors and other investigators searched the NIS main headquarters near Seoul, including documents, computer files and other materials related to the two cases, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said without elaborating.
The cases include North Korea's fatal shooting of a South Korean fisheries official near the Koreas' western sea boundary in 2020, and South Korea's deportation of two North Korean fishermen despite their wishes to resettle in South Korea in 2019.