Park Sunwon Briefs Reporters After Intelligence Committee Audit
Park Sunwon, the Democratic Party whip of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, stated on the 5th, "The Defense Counterintelligence Command (Counterintelligence Command) expressed deep reflection and issued an apology for its involvement in the December 3 Martial Law-related rebellion."
Park Sunwon, the Democratic Party whip of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, is speaking at the 2025 National Defense Intelligence Agency and others' audit held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News
On this day, after conducting a closed-door Intelligence Committee audit of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Counterintelligence Command, and Cyber Operations Command at the National Assembly, Assemblyman Park spoke with reporters and made this statement.
Assemblyman Park said, "The Counterintelligence Command stated, 'Although our mission is to prevent the overthrow of the state and to detect and stop rebellion in advance, we deeply reflect on and apologize for being involved in this rebellion.'"
Assemblyman Park also reported that during the audit, it was revealed that after the North Korean drone infiltration operation in Pyongyang in October last year, the South Korean military deployed Apache helicopters near the Military Demarcation Line and carried out additional drone deployment operations.
In particular, Assemblyman Park said, "After last year's drone infiltration, it was reported that North Korean residents were greatly agitated and that North Korea had entered a state of war preparedness."
He continued, "After Lee Seung-o, then Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received reports not only of agitation among North Korea's military authorities but also among the residents following the drone infiltration, Apache helicopters conducted what is called an integrated intelligence operation involving close flights along the Military Demarcation Line," adding, "Additional drone deployment operations were carried out at least five times."
He further stated, "The integrated intelligence operation involving Apache helicopters included the Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of Operations Planning, the Commander of Ground Operations Command, the Commander of the 1st Corps, and the Commander of Special Operations Command," and added, "All key operational headquarters, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were involved in the operation intended to provoke a response from North Korea."
Assemblyman Park also reported that during the audit, it was revealed that two officers from the Defense Intelligence Command were arrested by Mongolian military authorities last year while conducting reconnaissance on the North Korean embassy in Mongolia.
Assemblyman Park explained, "To resolve this issue, Hwang Wonjin, then Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Moon Sangho, then Commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, sent letters of apology to the Mongolian Defense Intelligence authorities and secured the release of the two officers."
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