Opposition members sued for accusing legislator of spying

South Korea's ruling Uri Party has launched a defamation suit after three opposition politicians accused a Uri legislator of spying for Pyongyang.

The claims intensified the already bitter political feud over plans by the ruling party to scrap South Korea's anti-communist National Security Law.

Three opposition Grand National Party members, led by Joo Sung-young, accused Lee Chul-woo of being a member of North Korea's Communist Workers' Party and spying for Pyongyang. Mr Lee received a four-year sentence in 1992 under the National Security Law for his membership of an anti-South Korea organisation, the Minhaejon.

The trio claims the group is intimately linked to North Korea's ruling party. Mr Lee, a former student activist, has denied the spying charge and said he was unaware of any links between the Minhaejon and North Korea's ruling party.