NIS director's job at stake over personnel issues

National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun attends a meeting of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee in Seoul, March 7. Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon

By Nam Hyun-woo

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is in trouble over its Director Kim Kyou-hyun's human resources (HR) policies and subsequent unrest over the spy agency's personnel allocation.

Reportedly, chiefs of the NIS' key overseas stations ― in the United States and Japan ― have been summoned back home due to troubles related to human resources. The presidential office is now inspecting the NIS' HR policies, and reports are alleging that President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered Kim to “keep his hands off” personnel issues, sparking up questions over whether the director will retain his job.

According to sources at the presidential office, its civil discipline office is now looking into the NIS' personnel management issues.

“Though I cannot confirm details, it is true that the office is now taking the matter very seriously,” an official said.

The move came after reports that Yoon revoked his approval of a number of high-level NIS appointments, last week, less than a week after his approval. Also, broadcaster SBS reported that station chiefs of Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Japan were ordered to return home in line with the personnel issue.

Before the recent developments, there were reports that more than 100 senior NIS officials were suspended from duty last December, and they are now preparing a class action suit against the NIS chief.

Multiple political sources with knowledge of the matter said those events are related with a ranking NIS official who is known to have a close relationship with the NIS chief. The official, known to be overseeing domestic politics, was sidelined from the NIS' key posts during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, but returned to the spy agency's mainstream under the Yoon administration.

During the Moon administration, the NIS' domestic intelligence departments were shut down, marginalizing those in charge of domestic issues. After Yoon took office, however, those who had been sidelined during Moon's tenure sought to be reinstated.

During this process, the official rose to exercise his influence on the NIS' HR policies, such as suspending more than 100 senior officials or recommending Yoon to promote certain officials to high-ranking positions.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) headquarters in Seocho District, Seoul / Courtesy of NIS

Against that backdrop, calls are growing that the NIS director should be reprimanded, with some ruling bloc officials claiming he should be replaced.

Comparing the NIS to a criminal gang, main opposition Democratic Party of Korea spokesperson Rep. Kang Sun-woo said, “What's worse than the NIS' collapsed internal discipline is that this news is being disseminated to the public.”

Since Yoon kicked off his six-day tour to France and Vietnam on Monday, he is expected to be briefed by the public official discipline office next week and consider taking measures regarding the spy agency.