The chief editor of a local online media outlet has been indicted on charges of publishing articles carrying false rumors about President Park Geun-hye and her brother, prosecutors said Thursday.

Paik Eun-jong, the 60-year-old chief editor of the media Web site Voice of Seoul, is accused of spreading false and defamatory information in two articles that separately said President Park gave birth to a baby out of wedlock and Park’s younger brother Ji-man masterminded the murder of his relative, according to the

Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office.

Paik posted the articles on the Web site of his company in early December 2012, just weeks before the presidential election, with an aim to influence the poll, prosecutors said. Park, who ran on the ruling Saenuri Party ticket, won the election by a narrow margin and took office in February. (Yonhap News)