Park Ji-won: "I will not even mention the character '政' of politics... Devoted to reforming the National Intelligence Service"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Former Minsaengdang lawmaker Park Ji-won expressed his thoughts upon being nominated as the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), stating that he will "not even mention the word 'politics' and will focus faithfully on the NIS's original mission while dedicating himself to reforming the agency."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, Park posted on his Facebook, saying, "I received notification from the Blue House that I have been nominated as the candidate for the NIS director. I will share my determination once officially appointed, but first, I want to express my initial feelings."

Park said, "I will do my best with patriotism for history, the Republic of Korea, and President Moon Jae-in," adding, "From now on, I will not utter even the character 政 (politics) and will faithfully carry out the NIS's original duties while striving for its reform."

He continued, "I will also suspend my SNS activities and phone communications," and added, "I am grateful to President Moon Jae-in for appointing me as a candidate, and Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Mrs. Lee Hee-ho come to mind endlessly."

Park, a four-term lawmaker, ran in the 21st general election in his constituency, Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, but lost to Kim Won, a Democratic Party lawmaker. Afterwards, he continued his career as a broadcaster and was appointed as a distinguished professor at his alma mater, Dankook University. The Blue House explained the reason for Park's nomination as NIS director, stating, "His messages are concise and clear, and he possesses excellent intelligence and situational judgment. Moreover, he is well-versed in NIS affairs, having served on the Intelligence Committee of the 18th, 19th, and 20th National Assemblies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.