[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] On the 8th, the National Assembly received the personnel hearing requests for Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Lee In-young, nominee for Minister of Unification. According to the request submitted by President Moon Jae-in, Park reported assets totaling 1,773.85 million KRW in his name, while Lee reported 1,075.8 million KRW combining the assets of his spouse, mother, and children. Among these, the assets in his own name amount to 238.53 million KRW.
Both nominees are single-home owners, each possessing one apartment under their own name. Park owns an apartment in Yeouido where he has lived for 23 years. The official assessed value is 1.47 billion KRW. Lee reported an apartment in Oryu-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, his electoral district, under his spouse’s name (231 million KRW), and an apartment in Chungju, Chungbuk under his mother’s name (91 million KRW).
Besides real estate, Park reported approximately 390 million KRW in deposits. He also holds a membership worth 10 million KRW at the Millennium Hilton Hotel health club. Park’s total debt amounts to 146.83 million KRW. He served as an Army sergeant and was discharged in 1967. His two children lost their South Korean nationality in 1994.
President Moon stated, "Park is a hidden key figure who made the first inter-Korean summit possible since the division of the Korean Peninsula," and added, "I judged him to be the right person to contribute to the National Intelligence Service’s leap into an advanced intelligence agency by leveraging the expertise and experience he has gained through over 30 years of political activity."
Lee In-young, the nominee for Minister of Unification, is responding to reporters' questions on the 6th while heading to the Inter-Korean Summit Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
Lee reported deposits of 188.72 million KRW and 408.4 million KRW in his and his spouse’s names, respectively. Additionally, he declared a leasehold right on an office in Guro-gu, Seoul, valued at 30 million KRW, and a 1,580cc Kia Niro hybrid car worth 19.81 million KRW in his name. He was exempted from military service in 1988 due to incarceration. His eldest son was also exempted from military service due to spinal joint disease.
President Moon recommended Lee, saying, "He has been contemplating and practicing inter-Korean cooperation and unification alongside his legislative activities," and added, "The negotiation skills and drive he demonstrated as floor leader of the 20th National Assembly will greatly help him manage the organization and creatively lead inter-Korean relations as Minister of Unification."
According to the Personnel Hearing Act, the National Assembly must complete the personnel hearing and submit a progress report to the President by the 27th. However, with the return of the United Future Party to the National Assembly and their announcement of rigorous scrutiny of foreign and security personnel ahead of the hearing, another confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties is expected. If the National Assembly fails to submit the progress report within the deadline despite a resubmission request, the President may proceed with the appointment of the nominees.
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