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SEOUL, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- South Korean prosecutors raided the South Gyeongsang Province governor's office on Thursday in search of documents for an online comment-rigging scandal investigation. Prosecutors searched for documents and hard disk drives that would serve as key evidence to the probe, involving former lawmaker and Governor of South Gyeongsang Province Kim Kyun-soo, Yonhap reported.
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Governor Kim is accused of collaborating with a blogger, known by his online nickname Druking, for allegedly manipulating comments in news articles and online posts. Druking, who is under custody, has claimed that Kim is responsible for orchestrating the comment-rigging scheme.
Governor Kim has denied his involvement in the scheme, saying his previous communication with the blogger was part of his political activities to hear opinions of supporting groups.
A group of bloggers, led by Druking, has been accused of using an automatic clicker software to raise the number of "likes" on news articles and online posts in favor of President Moon and his political party. They also alleged to have left favorable comments for Moon and his party.
The scandal grew to engulf the South Korean political circle when liberal lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan committed suicide over accepting a fund from a civic group led by the blogger. Roh said in his note that no political favors were attached to the money.
