South Korean intelligence interfered to help Park Geun-hye win the 2012 election.

The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) has admitted to interfering to help Park Geun-hye win the 2012 presidential election.

CGTNnews reporting,On the evening of August 3, South Korean intelligence agencies admitted to cooperating in an online campaign ahead of the 2012 presidential election to support Park Geun-hye's campaign and undermine the chances of Moon Jae-in (the incumbent South Korean president).

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Photo: CGTN.

According toYonhapMembers of the psychological warfare team at the NIS attempted to smear then-opposition candidate Moon Jae-in and support Park through social media posts and news articles.

"The teams were responsible for spreading pro-government sentiment and suppressing anti-government views, labeling them as attempts to disrupt the state by pro-North Korean forces," the statement accompanying the internal investigation read.

NIS also confirmed that it had assisted conservative candidates in the 2011 parliamentary elections.

In the 2012 election, Park Geun-hye defeated Moon Jae-in of the Liberty Korea Party to become South Korea's first female president.

However, she has now been forced to leave office and appear in court on charges of abuse of power and corruption.

Moon, who called for the investigation, vowed to reform the NIS so that it would not interfere in future elections. However, a representative for Park said on August 4 that the investigation was "politically motivated."

The internal investigation will continue as dozens of other alleged violations by the NIS are brought to review.

According to VOV