Park makes apology to save spy master

President Park Geun-hye apologized Tuesday for the spy agency forging evidence in an attempt to convict a former Seoul city employee of spying for North Korea.

Park’s remarks came on the heels of the apology from National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Nam Jae-joon after Seoul prosecutors indicted two NIS officers, Monday. Nam is one of Park’s most trusted aides.

Calls are rising for the spy master to take responsibility for the unprecedented case involving Yu Woo-sung who is an ethnic Korean-Chinese man, who pretended to be a North Korean defector.

“To my regret, the NIS has caused concern due to its wrong practices and holes in its management system. I feel sorry for this,” Park said during a weekly Cabinet meeting.

“The NIS has to institute a sweeping overhaul to prevent a recurrence. If the agency betrays the people’s confidence once again, I will hold it accountable.”

Her comments prompted some observers to conjecture that Park will not fire Nam this time around.

The beleaguered intelligence chief also demonstrated his willingness to continue the job in a three-minute press conference at the NIS head office in southern Seoul just before the Cabinet meeting.

“Let me offer my sincere apology to the people,” Nam said without taking any questions. “The NIS will try to develop scientific investigation skills and beef up its ability to deal with North Korea related cases.”

Observers point out that Park strongly warned Nam, insinuating that he will keep his job for the moment. But they questioned whether the scandal-stricken chief would be able to reform the NIS.

“Park issued a yellow card to Nam, warning that next time it will be a red card,” political commentator Hwang Tae-soon said.

“Personally, I don’t think that Nam can lead the NIS after getting such a strong rebuke from President Park. He would be better off resigning.”

Last July, the NIS disclosed the minutes of a 2007 summit between the late former President Roh Moo-hyun and then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during a dispute over whether Roh offered to negotiate the position of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border in the West Sea.

Opposition parties accused the NIS and its leader Nam of attempting to divert attention from suspicions over the spy agency’s alleged interference in the presidential election.

Nam survived that controversy, but faces another one this year due to the evidence fabrication case.

After a district court ruled that Yoo was not guilty of espionage, the prosecution appealed, presenting Chinese travel and immigration documents on Yoo’s visit to the North.

Some of these were found to have been fabricated and suspicion arose that the NIS was responsible. After a two-month investigation a special team of prosecutors indicted the two NIS officers.

This prompted NIS Deputy Director Seo Cheon-ho to tender his resignation Monday, which President Park accepted. By Kim Tae-gyu The korea times