What Happened at the National Intelligence Service... Yoon and NIS Directly Explain Jo Sang-jun's Resignation

Allegations Raised That National Intelligence Service Chief Retired Amid Conflict Over Senior Appointment
President Yoon Calls It a "Personal Matter"
National Intelligence Service, Previously Saying "Unaware of Personal Reasons or Specific Causes," Denies Conflict Citing Health Issues

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The resignation background of Cho Sang-jun, the former Planning and Coordination Office Chief at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and a close aide to President Yoon Seok-yeol, is drawing attention due to rumors of a 'NIS personnel conflict.'

It is reported that Cho and NIS Director Kim Kyu-hyun clashed over senior personnel appointments at the NIS, and after Kim's personnel proposal was accepted, Cho directly submitted his resignation to the Presidential Office.

Although the Presidential Office and the NIS explained the resignation as due to 'personal reasons,' skepticism about Cho's sudden resignation, who oversaw the NIS budget and personnel, has not subsided, prompting President Yoon and the NIS to make further efforts to quell the situation on the 27th.

On the morning of the 27th, President Yoon, when asked by reporters on his way to the Yongsan Presidential Office about the specific reasons behind the resignation of Cho, known as a close aide, replied, "It is difficult to disclose due to personal reasons."

He added, "(The Planning and Coordination Office Chief) holds an important position, and it was thought that handling the heavy workload was not suitable, so it was accepted," and said, "If it were a public matter, I could explain, but it is a personal issue."

Cho submitted his resignation to the Presidential Office on the 25th, a day before the National Assembly Intelligence Committee's audit, and President Yoon immediately approved it, processing his dismissal on the 26th. During this process, Cho did not inform Director Kim of his resignation but directly submitted his resignation letter to the Presidential Office, and Director Kim learned of Cho's resignation from the Presidential Office.

As a result, suspicions such as Cho's illness, drunk driving rumors, and NIS personnel conflicts have been widely circulated in political circles, with the prevailing view that the personnel conflict at the NIS is the likely reason for Cho's resignation.

Director Kim reportedly asked Cho to handle the personnel proposal while he was on a business trip, and Cho went to the Yongsan Presidential Office to get confirmation. However, when Kim returned and reviewed the personnel proposal, it differed from his expectations, so he redrafted the proposal and went to the Yongsan Presidential Office again. After reviewing the two proposals, the Presidential Office investigated the situation and accepted Director Kim's personnel proposal.

Former NIS Director Park Ji-won also stated on CBS Radio that "Since it is the NIS, which I am familiar with, I cannot disclose exact details, but I have heard it is a personnel issue," and added, "Since the Presidential Office sided with the NIS Director, I understand that Cho submitted his resignation the day before the audit."

However, both the Presidential Office and the NIS maintain that the rumors of conflict between Cho and Director Kim are not true. A Presidential Office official told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office the previous afternoon, "It is difficult to disclose personal circumstances," drawing a clear line.

President Yoon’s repeated mention of 'personal reasons' and 'a personal issue, not a public one' is interpreted as an indirect rebuttal of the NIS personnel conflict rumors.

At the audit the previous day, the NIS said it was "due to personal reasons and the specific reasons are unknown," but on the morning of the 27th, the NIS issued a press release titled "Regarding the facts related to the dismissal of the Planning and Coordination Office Chief," stating that Cho "expressed his intention to resign due to personal reasons such as 'his own health issues.'"

The NIS emphasized, "Regarding the background of Cho’s resignation, in response to various rumors such as 'internal personnel conflicts' reported by some media, we clarify that these are completely unfounded."

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