Roh Celebrated 43rd Anniversary of NIS Establishment

“I wish the National Intelligence Service (NIS) will continually innovate itself with a sense of duty and win the public confidence,” President Roh Moo-hyun said on Thursday in a congratulatory message sent to the NIS celebrating its 43rd anniversary.

“From collecting foreign economic information to being prepared on terror and cyber crimes, an inch of negligence cannot be accepted,” said Roh through the message, adding, “This is the time when ‘intelligence is nothing but a national power’ and intelligence capacity for the national security and the promotion of the national interests has to be further strengthened,”

Also, President Roh said, “The NIS is reborn as a national intelligence agency, both nominally and virtually, and its unusual relationship with the government disappearing,” and added, “The NIS has stood up properly as an agency-serving public, not exercising its power or being an object of the citizens’ fear,” in appreciation of the staff, including the NIS Chief Ko Young-koo, for their efforts.

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com