Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
'NIS director should be given fixed term of office'
By Jun Ji-hye
Opposition lawmakers called for a decentralization of power within the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Wednesday.
“It should begin with scrapping its authority to investigate and indict in espionage cases,” Rep. Moon Byeong-ho told The Korea Times. “Plus, the NIS director has too much power without being held accountable.”
It is alleged that the NIS fabricated evidence against a man accused of spying for North Korea.
Moon pointed out that another problem lies with the NIS director, who directly makes reports to the president.
“Failure to keep political independence of the agency provides fertile ground for abuse,” he said, suggesting that NIS director’s term of office should be guaranteed, while putting it under the control of the prime minister.”
Moon added that the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will make National Assembly approval for the appointment of the head of the NIS compulsory.
Under the current law, nominees for the position must go through a parliamentary confirmation hearing, the results of which the president can ignore.
Moon served as the DP representative on a special committee for NIS reform. The committee disbanded last month with little to show for their deliberations.
Rep. Kim Hyun, also from DP, said, “To prevent power abuses by the NIS, its investigative power must be transferred to the prosecution.”
Rep. Shin Kyoung-min said: “Under the Criminal Law, the prosecution has the right to all conduct all investigations. But the NIS’s anti-communist investigation rights preempt all other relevant legal devices.”