President must repair NIS broken by predecessor
In previous decades, Korea’s top spy agency often pursued the objectives of individual governments and their leaders instead of working for the benefit of the entire nation. Most Koreans thought those days were long gone: sadly they were wrong.
When a female employee of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was caught waging an online
campaign against the opposition candidate during last year’s presidential election, the NIS said it was personal activity motivated by the woman’s own judgment.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), based on what NIS Director Won Sei-hoon told intelligence operatives during monthly staff meetings over the past two years, said the spy chief has been significantly involved in domestic politics, violating the law that bans such activities.
Quoting the NIS’s own intranet record, Rep. Jin said Won ordered NIS agents to shape public opinion on major issues in favor of the conservative camp; promote the Lee administration’s key policies, including the four-river restoration works and the cancellation of an administrative capital project; and
cyber-propaganda from North Korea and its sympathizers in the South.
Surprisingly, NIS officials acknowledged most of these allegations, saying they were necessary to support national security. They accused the opposition lawmaker of distorting and
ing the NIS’s activities for political purposes, and
ed the leakage of internal documents.
In this, citizens see a glaring example of the audacity of thieves. Of Won’s three major instructions, one can only agree to the conduct of a cyber war against North Korea as a relevant task, while finding the other two as egregious intervention in politics by siding with the previous administration. What matters is that NIS agents broke laws en masse and at the instruction of its head, not a
revelation of facts.
We demand Won or any another NIS official explain what relationship there is between the controversial river-refurbishment works or the relocation of government offices with North Korea’s nuclear programs.
All this shows how Won, a longtime confidant of former President Lee, confused national security with preserving the safety of his boss and the administration he led. Won categorized together people or groups opposing Lee, including opposition lawmakers, labor unionists, environmental groups and even Buddhist monks, as pro-North Korea leftists by painting them all red. When Lee named his right-hand man, who was a total stranger to intelligence work, to lead the top spy agency, there were concerns about the NIS becoming the president’s personal agency, misgivings which were proven true.
While the NIS head’s attention went in the wrong direction, the agency’s espionage operations suffered a serious setback, as evidenced by shameful fiascos at home and abroad.
We hope, and believe, that President Park Geun-hye, who lost her father at the hand of his top spy, will not repeat similar mistakes. Park should go further, by ordering thorough investigations into the female operative’s alleged meddling in the election.
The President must be ready to take legal steps against the NIS chief and, if necessary, even ask her predecessor to take responsibility. This is the least she can to do in order to show her resolve not to allow more of the same wrongs.
This is The Korea Times editorial for Wednesday, March, 20, 2013.
1. If she continues to malign the integrity of our company, we will sue her.
① repel
② slander
③ transfix
④ permit
2. You should hurry up to cope with that pressing business. (행정자치부, CPA, 변리사)
① dejected
② moderate
③ useless
④ urgent
3. American journalists often overstate a situation to make the news more stimulating.
① exaggerate
② inspire
③ animate
④ misinterpret
4. Some critics have praised James Michener's epic novels for their facts but deplored their characterizations.
① emulated
② ridiculed
③ complimented
④ lamented
5. Illustrations of this sort could be multiplied by reference to the belated identification of uranium fission.
① beloved
② tardy
③ related
④ famous
[해설 및 정답]
1. [번역]만일 그녀가 계속하여 우리 회사의 정직성을 중상한다면, 우리는 그녀를 고소할 것이다.
[어휘]malign 헐뜯다, 중상하다, 욕을 하다(slander, disparage, insult, speak ill of) a. 해로운(injurious); 악의 있는(malignant, malevolent)
① repel 쫓아버리다, 격퇴하다(drive back); 퇴짜 놓다; 불쾌감을 주다 ③ transfix 찌르다, 꿰뚫다; 꼼짝 못하게 하다 ④ permit 허용하다
[정답]②
2. [번역] 당신은 그 긴급한 일에 대처하기 위해 서두르셔야 합니다.
[정답] ④
3. [번역] 미국의 기자들은 종종 뉴스거리를 보다 더 자극적인 것으로 삼기 위해 상항을 과장한다.
[어휘] overstate 허풍을 떨다, 과장하다(exaggerate)
② 고무하다; 주입하다; 영감을 주다 ③ 활기를 불어 넣다 ④ 오해하다; 오역하다
[정답] ①
4. [번역] 일부 비평가들은 사실들에 대해서는 J. Michener의 서사소설을 칭찬해 왔으나 그 소설의 인물창작을 애통해했다.
[어휘] deplore 한탄하다, 애통해하다(lament, mourn, sorrow, grieve, moan) deplorable 통탄스러운, 한탄할만한(lamentable, mournful, sorrowful, grievous, moanful)
① 필적하다; 모방하다 ② 비웃다, 조롱하다 ③ 칭찬하다
5. [번역] 이러한 종류의 설명은 우라늄 분열에 관한 뒤늦게 확인된 것을 참조하여 다양해 질 수 있다.
[정답] ②