Lee Jongseok: "I Have Never Once Said That North Korea Has Legitimacy"

Refuting "False Claims" in Some Media Reports

Lee Jongseok, nominee for Director of the National Intelligence Service, stated on June 11, "I have never, even once since my youth, made any remarks or written any papers suggesting that North Korea possesses legitimacy."

In a statement released that day, Lee said, "Recently, some online media outlets have reported claims about me that are completely false and have no basis in fact. I wish to set the record straight."

Yonhap News

Lee also denied the allegation that the late Kim Namsik, a North Korea researcher who later changed his views, was his ideological mentor, saying, "This claim is entirely untrue. I have never received any personal guidance from Mr. Kim, nor have I ever attended a seminar presided over by him."

Furthermore, Lee emphasized, "I have never advocated for an intrinsic approach in my research on North Korea. From long ago, I have rejected the intrinsic approach and have instead argued for an 'intrinsic critical approach,' which means that research on North Korea can be examined not only from the 'inside' but also from external standards." The 'intrinsic approach' refers to evaluating and interpreting North Korea from its own perspective.

Lee added, "I deeply regret that my reputation has been damaged by the distortion of facts and the spread of false claims," and warned, "If such incidents are repeated in the future, I will respond firmly, including taking legal action."

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