Opposition Party: "NIS Illegal Surveillance Documents Should Be Disclosed from DJ Administration Period"

Ha Tae-kyung Urges Priority on Malicious Information Such as Illegal Wiretapping
Opposition Intelligence Committee Secretary Requests Data Submission
"Uncertain Government Trying to Influence Media"

[Asia Economy Reporters Naju-seok and Park Joon-yi] The intelligence committee members of the People Power Party demanded the disclosure of illegal surveillance information by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) not only during the Lee Myung-bak (MB) administration but also since the Kim Dae-jung (DJ) administration. This was a countermeasure against the Democratic Party intelligence committee members' demand for illegal surveillance information by the NIS after the MB administration at the intelligence committee level. They also raised the issue of malicious illegal information, demanding an investigation into illegal wiretapping and eavesdropping during the DJ administration.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 24th, People Power Party lawmakers Ha Tae-kyung and Cho Tae-yong held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office, stating, "To properly understand and correct the illegal surveillance issues of the NIS, all suspicions from the DJ administration to the present must be subject to investigation," and "All members of the People Power Party intelligence committee strongly urge the NIS and the Democratic Party to disclose all information on illegal surveillance and to stop political interference in order to clear the 60-year dark history."

Regarding this, Representative Ha requested the number of wiretapping and eavesdropping targets, the number of surveillance information documents, their usage details, and the number of reports to the Blue House from the DJ administration to the present. Additionally, he demanded the submission to the intelligence committee of the status of institutions requested for wiretapping cooperation, all inter-agency document transmission and reception lists, surveillance-related reports, and surveillance-related tailing materials and reports.

Representative Ha said, "There is too much illegal surveillance information to disclose, and it is impossible," adding, "Batch disclosure by category must be conducted simultaneously." He stated, "Wiretapping and eavesdropping details are available from the DJ administration to the present, and no government should be selectively chosen; disclosure must be made by category."

He further argued, "Malicious information should be disclosed first." Representative Ha said, "Among illegal information, there are various degrees and levels. There is a qualitative difference between information gathered from the internet and that obtained through wiretapping and tailing. Malicious information should be disclosed first."

After the press conference, Representative Ha claimed, "(The NIS) is still stalling with uncertain information," and "They keep leaking uncertain information to influence elections." Regarding the Democratic Party intelligence committee chairman Kim Kyung-hyup's claim of 200,000 cases of illegal information, he said, "That is his estimate," and "We cannot know whether it is illegal surveillance information or not until it is opened."

Representative Ha said, "The Democratic Party only demands disclosure from the MB administration onward, but we have requested information by category starting from the DJ administration," and added, "Let's see what information the NIS discloses."

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