The scandal began with an account, obtained by a South Korean media outlet, containing a list of more than 1,200 defectors’ names, account numbers and how much they’d been paid.

They had been mobilized to a series of rallies by conservative organizations, participating in return for money.

They countered rallies by the Sewol ferry disaster’s bereaved families and protested the polices Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a key figure in the opposition party. They even protested against ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker Kim Moo-seong, who had dissented from President Park Geun-hye’s party line during the general election in April.

Defector activist Kim