Assembly adopts confirmation hearing report for spy chief nominee
Spy agency chief nominee Kim Kyou-hyun / Yonhap
The National Assembly adopted a confirmation hearing report for the country's spy agency chief nominee Thursday, paving the way for his official appointment amid heightened tensions from North Korean missile launches.
The approval came a day after the National Assembly Intelligence Committee held a confirmation hearing for Kim Kyou-hyun, the nominee for National Intelligence Service (NIS) director.
Kim is known for his broad expertise in diplomacy and versatile career ranging from defense to national security. He served as deputy national security adviser to former conservative President Park Geun-hye and has worked in several key posts, especially handling affairs related to the United States, since joining the foreign service in 1980.
During Wednesday's hearing, Kim said he will beef up intelligence capabilities on North Korea and make the NIS a top-class intelligence agency similar to Israel's Mossad. (Yonhap)