Security Office: "During MB Era, GIMUSA Had No Civilian Surveillance to Our Knowledge"

Disclosure of NIS Illegal Surveillance List... Bipartisan Efforts by Ruling and Opposition Parties

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The Defense Security Support Command (DSSC) reported to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on the 17th that it is "believed not to exist" regarding illegal surveillance of politicians and civilians during the Lee Myung-bak administration.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Byung-gi of the Democratic Party and Ha Tae-kyung of the People Power Party, the floor leaders of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, conveyed through the DSSC briefing that "the DSSC commander has been under investigation, but it was reported that there is no data at all."

Regarding this, Representative Ha said, "The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is handling 60 years of dark history, and the Defense Security Command (the predecessor of DSSC) has also requested data to verify this."

Concerning the list of NIS surveillance data on civilians during the Lee Myung-bak administration, Representative Kim stated, "We will request data at the Intelligence Committee level," adding, "If there is reluctance, we will demand submission with a two-thirds majority vote." Representative Ha said, "We will make every effort to reach a bipartisan agreement."

There is also speculation that even if there is a resolution at the Intelligence Committee level, the actual reporting time will be later. Representative Kim said, "The Truth Investigation Committee must collect the data," adding, "Before collection, even if a resolution is passed, there is no way to submit it." He noted, "This is not an issue that will be resolved within a month or two," and stated, "We will receive not only the final results but also interim reports."

It is expected that whether the National Intelligence Service conducted surveillance during the Park Geun-hye administration will also be confirmed through cases such as former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook. Representative Kim said, "Regarding the former Prosecutor General Chae’s issue, the NIS must have released some data," adding, "If surveillance information was collected even on the Prosecutor General, it is undoubtedly a concerning situation. We will thoroughly review the data."

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