'Recruitment Corruption Allegations' Park Ji-won and Seo Hoon... Police Conduct Search and Seizure at National Intelligence Service

The police have launched a search and seizure operation at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) headquarters related to allegations of recruitment corruption involving former NIS Director Park Ji-won and former National Security Office Chief Seo Hoon.

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won. [Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the police on the 24th, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency began searching the NIS headquarters in Naegok-dong, Seoul, from 10 a.m. on the same day, targeting the offices of the NIS Director's Secretary and the Planning and Coordination Office. The police plan to seize all documents and materials related to the recruitment corruption allegations. Earlier that morning, around 7 a.m., the police also conducted a search and seizure at their residences.

Former Director Park and former Chief Seo are suspected of obstruction of business and abuse of authority. Typically, recruitment corruption is charged as obstruction of business. However, the police stated that since the NIS Director has authority over affiliated research institutions and gave recruitment instructions, considering their status as public officials, the charge of 'abuse of authority' was applied.

Park and Seo are suspected of recruiting their close associates to the National Security Strategy Institute (Strategy Institute). It is known that in August 2020, former Director Park hired two of his former aides to the Strategy Institute without following proper recommendation procedures, document screening, or interviews.

Former Chief Seo is accused of hiring Jo, who did not meet the 2017 recruitment standards, as the head of the Strategy Institute's Research Planning Office. The police believe Seo instructed changes to personnel service regulations and based on that, Jo was hired. Jo is also suspected of embezzling public funds after joining the Strategy Institute.

The police began the investigation earlier this year following a request from the NIS. It is reported that the NIS detected the suspicions during an internal audit.

Interrogations of former Director Park and former Chief Seo as suspects have not yet been conducted.

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