Kim Jong-un Apology Notice... Exchanged via 'NIS-Tongjeonbu' Confidential Line

Seo Hoon, Director of the National Security Office at the Blue House, is briefing on inter-Korean issues on the afternoon of the 25th at the Blue House Chuncheon Hall's main briefing room.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Nah Han-ah] It has been reported that North Korea's United Front Department sent Kim Jong-un's apology letter not to the Blue House but to the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

On the 25th, Seo Hun, Director of the National Security Office at the Blue House, disclosed North Korea's notification regarding the shooting of a South Korean official by North Korean soldiers, and two hours later, revealed the personal letters exchanged between President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim. The notification was reportedly delivered directly by Park Jie-won, the head of the NIS.

Although South and North Korea had communication channels such as the military communication lines in the East and West Sea areas, hotlines between naval vessels, and the Panmunjom channel, contact was cut off after North Korea announced on June 9th that it would block and dismantle these channels.

It is known that when the government sent a notification on the 23rd requesting fact-finding from North Korea, there was no communication channel with North Korea, so the Military Armistice Commission of the United Nations Command had to be used.

However, with the disclosure of the personal letters this time, it was revealed that a confidential line was maintained through the NIS channel rather than the Blue House.

Meanwhile, it is also reported that the personal letters previously exchanged between the South and North Korean leaders were exchanged through the 'NIS-United Front Department' line.

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