Kim Tae-nyeon: "People Power Party Must Cooperate in Truth Investigation of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye's NIS Illegal Surveillance Allegations"

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th and delivering a speech. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 18th that the People Power Party should "confess the truth to the public and cooperate in the fact-finding regarding the allegations of illegal surveillance by the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations' National Intelligence Service (NIS)."

At the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Kim stated, "(The People Power Party) is engaging in typical diversion tactics to avoid responsibility, calling it low-level political attacks and habitual political manipulation day after day."

He said, "There is evidence that the Lee Myung-bak administration's NIS illegally surveilled all members of the 18th National Assembly, local government heads, and cultural figures," adding, "On the 16th, at the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, NIS Director Park Jie-won reported that he could not confirm whether there was an order to stop during the Park Geun-hye administration, so it is likely that the surveillance continued. He also reported that domestic intelligence collection was officially halted after the Moon Jae-in administration took office."

He continued, "If true, the illegal surveillance that began in 2009 under the Lee Myung-bak administration was organized and widespread, continuing for eight years through the Park Geun-hye administration," and pointed out, "According to media reports, the targets of the Lee Myung-bak administration NIS special mission team's counterintelligence agents' tailing and monitoring included figures such as Han Myeong-sook, Park Won-soon, Lee Jong-gu, and Hong Jung-wook, regardless of party affiliation."

Floor Leader Kim emphasized, "The Democratic Party will thoroughly investigate the truth of the illegal surveillance committed by the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, which violated the basic rights of the people and destroyed democracy," adding, "Along with Party Leader Lee Nak-yeon and myself, 53 lawmakers have proposed a special resolution. The NIS must actively cooperate with information disclosure requests from the victims of surveillance. The Democratic Party will use all means to uncover the truth."

He criticized the People Power Party, saying, "Despite the suspicions being revealed as facts like pieces of a puzzle, it is a shameful act of hypocrisy for them to talk about political manipulation under the pretext of elections, like 'the one who farted is angry,'" and added, "We cannot allow serious criminal acts that infringe on the basic rights of the people and democracy to be covered up just because an election is approaching."

He added, "If we remain silent about illegality, democracy will regress, and dictatorship will take its place. It is the duty of the National Assembly to clearly reveal the truth to protect democracy," and concluded, "The Democratic Party will fulfill the responsibility and authority entrusted by the people to completely eradicate illegal surveillance in Korea."

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