"Far from the Claim That It Was Drafted to Support the Martial Law Command"
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) responded to claims made by Assemblyman Yoon Gunyoung of the Democratic Party of Korea, who alleged that during last year's martial law, the NIS had drawn up plans to dispatch personnel to the Martial Law Command, suggesting its involvement in the imposition of martial law. The NIS clarified that it had not actually reviewed any plans to dispatch personnel.
On September 8, Assemblyman Yoon held a press conference, stating, "On the day martial law was declared, the NIS produced a document titled 'Actions to Be Taken by XX Bureau in the Event of Martial Law,' and the department in question is effectively the main unit responsible for martial law within the NIS." He raised suspicions regarding the NIS's alleged involvement in the martial law plot. In response, the NIS announced the results of its internal investigation into Yoon's claims through a press release on September 10, stating that it had verified the facts internally.
The NIS acknowledged that a working-level employee had indeed drafted the relevant documents, specifying that there were two documents in total: Document 1, created for the employee's own reference, and Document 2, produced based on Document 1 to report to the department head. The NIS explained that the contents of Document 1, which included "dispatching approximately 80 staff members to the Martial Law Command" and "forming a Central Joint Intelligence Investigation Team during wartime," were simply quotations from the "XX Plan," which outlines response scenarios in the event of an emergency. The agency emphasized, "This is far from the claim that the NIS reviewed or drafted a plan to dispatch personnel to support the Martial Law Command or the Joint Investigation Headquarters."
Document 2 was prepared based on Document 1 under the title "Review of the Legal Basis for XX Bureau Activities Under Martial Law." According to the NIS, this document stated, "In the event of martial law being declared, the NIS and the XX Bureau would be under the command of the Martial Law Commander. However, since there is no separate regulation granting the NIS special judicial police authority during martial law, it would be impossible to exercise investigative powers."
According to the NIS, the author of the documents sent Document 2 to the department head at 1:49 a.m. on December 4, after martial law was declared and midnight had passed, and then left work. The department head subsequently forwarded the document to the deputy director's aide. The deputy director had already left work before the aide sent the document. The NIS stated, "We identified these facts through document circulation records, but due to the lack of investigative authority, there were limitations in fully clarifying the facts and uncovering the truth." The agency added, "If a special prosecutor's investigation is launched, we will actively cooperate by providing all relevant materials to ensure that the suspicions are promptly resolved."
Regarding Assemblyman Yoon's claim that more than 130 employees from a specific NIS department reported to work after the declaration of martial law, the NIS admitted that this was "true." The agency explained, "At 10:45 p.m. on the 3rd, the department head instructed executives and essential personnel to report to work. Other staff members who did not receive the message also voluntarily reported to work, recognizing the situation as a national emergency." The NIS added that these employees waited in the office while monitoring media reports and returned home at 1:37 a.m. on the 4th, after the National Assembly passed a resolution calling for the lifting of martial law and following the deputy director's instruction for all staff to leave work.
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