The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed the innocence of Seoul City Mayor Park Won-soon in a defamation case appealed by the state over his allegation of being spied on by intelligence agents.

The top court said it upheld the lower court’s ruling against the National Intelligence Service which sued Park, then a civic activist, in 2009 on defamation charges.

In 2009, Park, an executive director at a progressive civic group, the Hope Institute, claimed in an interview with a news media outlet that the NIS aborted some of the organizations’ projects.

The state made the defamation suit in the same year, demanding 200 million won in compensation.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled in 2010 that the state as a rule cannot be a victim except in cases where the attack was malicious, and that the state already has its own capacity to correct or remedy any false reports. The Seoul High Court also dismissed the NIS’ appeal the following year.

The Supreme Court’s decision comes amid a controversy over the government’s alleged illegal surveillance of civilians ahead of the April 11 general elections.

It draws attention as the NIS reportedly plans to file a defamation suit against outspoken TV celeb Kim Mi-hwa for her claim that she was contacted in 2010 by secret agents who allegedly hinted that President Lee Myung-bak was not happy with her. The NIS has denied Kim’s claim.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)