'National Intelligence Service Favoritism Hiring Allegations' Seo Hoon and Park Ji-won Referred to Prosecution

Former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Directors Seo Hoon and Park Ji-won, who faced allegations of recruitment irregularities during their tenure, have been referred to the prosecution.

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won is attending the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 1st of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters on the 7th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit sent Seo, the former director, and Park, the former director, to the prosecution without detention on the 31st of last month on charges including violation of the National Intelligence Service Act.

Seo is accused of hiring Jo, a member of Moon Jae-in's presidential campaign, as the head of the Research Planning Office at the National Security Strategy Institute (NSSI), despite Jo not meeting the recruitment criteria in August 2017. His successor, Park, is also suspected of exerting influence by allowing Kang and Park, who worked as his aides, to join the NSSI without following separate procedures.

Seo Hoon, former Director of the National Intelligence Service. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The NSSI is an affiliated organization of the NIS that researches and analyzes security issues to develop strategies and policies. Following a search of the homes of Seo and Park in May, the police summoned Seo on June 10 and Park on the 1st of last month for investigation. Three individuals involved in the preferential hiring allegations were also summoned as witnesses in June for questioning.

The NIS detected suspicious circumstances in the hiring process of Jo and others through an internal audit and requested a police investigation earlier this year.