Cho Tae-yong, Nominee for NIS Director, "Will Spare No Effort in Responding to North Korea's Nuclear and Missile Threats"

At the National Assembly Confirmation Hearing: "The Top Priority Security Threat"

Cho Tae-yong, nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, is responding to a parliamentary procedure statement regarding a request for document submission at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Cho Tae-yong, the nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, emphasized, "We will devote all efforts to responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, which are the substantial and top-priority security threats facing the Republic of Korea."

In his opening remarks at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 11th, Cho stated, "We will strengthen our intelligence capabilities and judgment regarding signs of North Korea's military provocations and the close ties between Russia and North Korea, as well as further solidify intelligence cooperation between Korea and the U.S., and among Korea, the U.S., and Japan."

He assessed, "With the advancement of North Korea's nuclear, missile, and cyber threats, the intensification of strategic competition between the U.S. and China, the ongoing wars between Israel and Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia, and economic security issues such as global supply chain disruptions, the role and responsibility of the National Intelligence Service have grown larger than ever."

Regarding the abolition of counterintelligence investigative authority, he explained, "I am well aware of the significant concerns about security gaps," and added, "We will make every effort to collect intelligence and respond to security infringement crimes to firmly protect liberal democracy."

He further stated, "We will also devote full efforts to proactively blocking illegal cyber activities such as hacking, which North Korea is conducting to earn foreign currency and steal WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) technology."

He said, "While strengthening economic security through blocking the leakage of national advanced technology and supporting supply chain cooperation, we will do our best to promote national interests by supporting wealth creation, including defense industry exports."

Recognizing recent internal personnel controversies and organizational conflicts within the National Intelligence Service, he pledged, "We will reorganize the organization and restore discipline to become a strong and trusted world-class intelligence agency."

He mentioned, "The first group I joined after retiring from public office in 2017 was the Yi Sun-sin Leadership Research Association," adding, "Despite facing hardships like serving without seeking recognition, they consistently thought only of the country, and General Yi Sun-sin, who risked his life to protect the nation during national crises, remains a role model for today's diplomatic and security officials."

Cho said, "If I am appointed as the Director of the National Intelligence Service at a time when North Korea's threats and global complex crises are increasing, I will emulate General Yi Sun-sin's patriotism and uphold the attitude of 'Yubi Muhwan Seonseung Gujeon (有備無患 先勝求戰)'?being prepared to avoid misfortune and seeking victory before engaging in battle?to thoroughly safeguard national security and interests."