[Editorial] NIS Reform Not Happening?

The ruling Uri Party has been working on legislation that would facilitate reform at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), but it is thinking of just making minor changes to the current National Intelligence Service Act. All the elements of the reform people have been proposing are missing, including reorganizing the structure of the agency to fit the times, curtailing its role in deciding its own intelligence and national security operations, and other proposals that were put forth in the wake of the illegal eavesdropping scandal. One had hoped that this time around there would be some real reform at the NIS, but it looks like the whole effort is going to turn out having produced very little. At one point 17 members of ruling and opposition party members submitted a bill that would abolish the NIS's authority to engage in domestic investigations, but Uri, which together as a party holds the keys to NIS reform, is going in whole different direction.

About eradicating illegal activities such as eavesdropping without the proper warrants, Uri is of the position that all resolving the problems requires is the "resolve of high-ranking officials" at the agency. That is why it came up with the idea of set-terms for NIS directors, and that is indeed something worth favorable consideration in order to better guarantee the director's political independence and preventing him from being influenced after he has been appointed. However, that alone is not going to reform the NIS. It seems Uri has already forgotten the fundamental reasons why during the Government of the People, the NIS was able to commit acts of illegal electronic surveillance even against the orders of the president. It is of course important that high-ranking NIS officials are determined to uproot the illegal activity, but it is more important that the law fundamentally prevent anyone from even having the desire to collect "political information" or interfere in politics.

According to the results of a survey of members of the National Assembly's intelligence committee, there is no difference of opinion on the need to reorganize the current structure of the agency. Also, most members agree on the need to reduce its role in domestic intelligence and expand its role in overseas intelligence. Despite that, Uri says it would be hard to use "legal force" to reorganize the agency's functions and so it "should be able to make policy recommendations." NIS reform just is not going to happen with the ruling party so disinterested. We call on Uri to engage in some introspection.

The Hankyoreh, 6 December 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]