  We theoretically show that core-excited state populations can be efficiently
manipulated with strong optical fields during their decay, which takes place in
a few femtoseconds. We focus on the $1s^{-1}3p$ resonant excitation in neon,
where the $1s^{-1}3p$ and $1s^{-1}3s$ core-excited states are coupled by an
optical field. By analyzing the Auger electron spectrum we observe the
inner-shell population transfer induced by the optical coupling. We also show
that the angular anisotropy of the Auger electron is imprinted in the multipeak
structure induced by the optical-dressed continuum, namely sidebands.
