Lawmaker Lee Seong-gwon cites Park Ji-won on Hong Jang-won personnel requests

Lee Seong-kwon, a member of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee and a representative of the People Power Party (Bu-san Sahagu Gap), said, "Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party, has mentioned in last year's legislative activities that 'Hong Jang-won, the former first vice administrator of the National Intelligence Service, made personnel requests through a former high-ranking official of the NIS.'" This lawmaker has been affiliated with the Intelligence Committee since June 26 of last year, serving as the party's floor leader.

In a phone interview with ChosunBiz on the 13th, the lawmaker noted, "I cannot recall whether it was during the national audit or committee activities, but it is true that Representative Park Ji-won asked Hong Jang-won, 'Did you not make a personnel request while I was at the NIS?' I also called Commissioner Shin Sung-beom, and he stated that he remembers it as well."

The statement that Hong, the former vice administrator, requested personnel from Park Ji-won was made by NIS Director Cho Tae-yong during the eighth hearing of President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial held at the Constitutional Court. Director Cho appeared as a witness for President Yoon during the hearing.

During the questioning about the background of Hong's dismissal, the director said, "Last summer, during an Intelligence Committee meeting, a member of the opposition party from the last administration pointed to then-Vice Administrator Hong and said, 'Did you not make personnel requests to me seven times through an influential person while I was at the NIS?' I was taken aback when I heard that, and everyone who heard it was probably surprised as well," adding, "Since it came up in the middle of a meeting, there should be a transcript related to it."

Because the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee reports information closely related to national security, meeting minutes and transcripts are not disclosed to the public. As a result, Representative Park Ji-won's comments have not been made public until now.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Representative Park Ji-won stated on his Facebook, "I asked Vice Administrator Hong a question during the intelligence committee meeting," adding, "However, Hong did not directly request me; instead, a former NIS official who served as ambassador to the UK made personnel requests to me six or seven times, all of which I rejected." He further noted, "This was my first meeting with Vice Administrator Hong during the intelligence committee meeting."