"Six Former NIS Chiefs Detained"…Park Ji-won Says "It Won't Happen to Me"

Director of the National Intelligence Service's Parliamentary Confirmation Hearing
Denies Connection to North Korea Remittances... Refuses to Submit Documents Related to Academic Forgery
Willing to Disclose 5.18 Related Documents... Admits Government Fault in Defection Incident
Emphasizes Reform to Ensure "No Domestic Political Intervention by NIS"

Park Ji-won, nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, attended the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 27th and responded to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Park Ji-won, the nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), denied on the 27th the claim by the United Future Party that he, as a special envoy from the South at the time, signed an agreement to provide $500 million to North Korea in the April 8 inter-Korean agreement that led to the historic June 15, 2000 inter-Korean summit. When questioned about the arrests of former NIS directors, he emphasized, "That will not happen to me."

During the confirmation hearing before the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, when United Future Party lawmaker Joo Ho-young presented the agreement as evidence and raised suspicions about Park's involvement in the transfer of funds to North Korea, Park responded, "Where in the document does it say $500 million?" and stated, "I don't recall."

He also denied any connection to the transfers to North Korea during the Kim Dae-jung administration. Park said, "None of the government’s money was included in the $500 million sent to North Korea during the June 15, 2000 inter-Korean summit."

Regarding the case in which he was sentenced to prison over the transfer of funds to North Korea, he said, "I was convicted because the National Intelligence Service account was used in the process of Hyundai transferring money to North Korea, but even now and at the time, I do not know through which account Hyundai sent money to North Korea." He added, "I comply with the Supreme Court’s final ruling, but it is not true."

Nominee for National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won attended the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 27th, listening to the lawmakers' questions with a cautious expression. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Additionally, Park stated that if there is any evidence of the NIS’s involvement in the May 18 Democratic Uprising, he would disclose the related materials.

He said, "If there was NIS involvement or if there are materials related to the unfortunate history of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, I promise to disclose them."

Regarding the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the return of compensation to victims of the 1974 People's Revolutionary Party (Inhyukdang) incident, he called it "a very wrong judgment" and said, "I will strive to ensure that compensation is genuinely provided to those harmed by state authority."

On the recent incident where a North Korean defector in his 20s, accused of sexual assault, defected back to the North, he admitted, "I acknowledge that the government did not handle it properly."

Park said, "The government is at fault for failing to detect various circumstances at the police station, such as this person (the defector) cleaning up his home and exchanging dollars after the sexual assault allegation." He added, "It took several days to identify the defection, and I regret that we still cannot fully disclose the details."

He continued, "We will also awaken ourselves, alleviate the public’s concerns, and work to prevent such incidents from recurring."

Regarding the moral controversies surrounding him, Park emphasized, "I will bury my personal matters in the garden of Naegok-dong and focus solely on the path South Korea must take."

The opposition party intensely questioned Park on allegations of academic fraud, preferential treatment related to attending university during military service, illegal political funds, and his views on North Korea.

In particular, the United Future Party raised suspicions that Park submitted false academic records from Chosun University during his transfer to Dankook University in 1965 and later, in 2000, changed it to Gwangju National University of Education to avoid issues.

In response, Park said, "I did not attend Chosun University; I transferred to Dankook University after two years at Gwangju National University of Education." He added, "Managing academic records is the university’s responsibility, not mine. If there is a problem, go to the university and demand answers."

When asked to submit documents related to his academic background, he refused, saying, "Please consider my personal information and the special nature of the NIS as a special intelligence agency." He promised, "I will erase the politician Park Ji-won and be reborn as a strict national public servant. I will deeply take to heart the voices of the people through the Intelligence Committee members, refine myself once again, and make the NIS an institution trusted by the public through continuous reform."

Park Ji-won, nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, appeared at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 27th and responded to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Furthermore, Park reiterated his commitment to actively pursue reform of the NIS. In his opening remarks, he said, "I will ensure that the NIS never intervenes in domestic politics or elections," and added, "I will not even mention the word politics and will focus on the NIS’s original mission and reform."

Park stated, "I will complete the reform of the NIS through laws and systems so that the reform measures implemented by former Director Suh Hoon, such as abolishing domestic intelligence collection, are not reversed." He emphasized, "I will be faithful to the NIS’s original mission."

He also said, "I will devote all my wisdom and experience to fulfilling my final duty and aspiration of paving a firm path for security and peace," adding, "While thoroughly responding to diversified security environments such as cyber safety, counterterrorism, and advanced technology leakage, I will also prepare thoroughly for new security threats including food, health, and security."