Defector Claims "South Korean Spy Worked in Blue House in the 1990s"... NIS Denies Allegation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A defector who worked as a high-ranking official in North Korea's intelligence agency claimed that a North Korean agent infiltrated and worked at the Blue House in the early 1990s.

According to the online edition of the British BBC on the 11th, high-ranking defector Kim Gukseong (alias) stated that he was responsible for covert operations aimed at the "political subjugation of South Korea."

He introduced himself as having served for five years as a colonel-equivalent officer in the South Korean military within the Reconnaissance General Bureau, and having been in charge of operations related to South Korea for 30 years in the Workers' Party Operations Department, Office 35, and the External Liaison Department. He added, "There were several cases where I directly created South Korean spies and carried out covert missions through them."

Kim particularly emphasized that in the early 1990s, a North Korean infiltrator worked at the Blue House and later returned. He said, "There was even a case where a direct agent dispatched from North Korea worked at the Blue House and safely returned to North Korea."

He continued, "The infiltrator worked at the Blue House for 5 to 6 years and safely returned, then worked at the Workers' Party 314 Liaison Office," adding, "I can say that infiltrators are actively operating not only in important institutions throughout South Korea but also in various civil society organizations."

He also claimed to have been directly involved in the assassination operation of Hwang Jang-yop. He said that in May 2009, an order was given to form a 'terror countermeasure team' to assassinate a former North Korean official who defected to South Korea, stating, "A top-secret team was formed to carry out a terror operation against Hwang Jang-yop, and I personally led it."

Kim said the reason for agreeing to the interview was "to liberate North Korean compatriots from the oppression of dictatorship and enable them to enjoy true freedom..." According to the BBC, Kim escaped from North Korea in 2014, currently lives in Seoul, and works for South Korean intelligence agencies. The BBC reported that while they could not independently verify Kim's claims, they confirmed his identity.

Meanwhile, the National Intelligence Service stated, "We have no information to confirm regarding the defector's personal details and claims," but added, "However, the claim about working at the Blue House for 5 to 6 years in the early 1990s is groundless."