Candidate List for National Intelligence Director Post Expands

Cheong Wa Dae has decided to have another meeting to recommend candidates for the position of director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Previously, Cheong Wa Dae recommended a single candidate, National Security Adviser Kwon Chin-ho, for the post.

“Originally, we planned to recommend a single candidate,” said Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Man-su. “But we changed our decision. We will recommend three candidates so that the president has more choices.” He added that the change in decision was not due to opposition from the ruling Uri Party.

“Civil affairs secretary Moon Jae-in and the former unification minister Jeong Se-hyun are among the candidates,” a source from the ruling party said. “To my knowledge, there is a possibility of Mr. Moon being selected from the list.”

“It is hard to write off Mr. Moon,” a high-ranking official of Cheong Wa Dae said, however. “I heard such rumors too, but I guess politicians and the NIS are opening the possibilities of other candidates.”

The official said that Kwon is still the most promising candidate. But there are some people from the political sector who argue that there are some morality issues with Mr. Kwon. Cheong Wa Dae, however, denied any moral problems with Kwon.

There are some people who interpret that the president’s intention to make a breakthrough in the difficulties of national tasks by appointing high-ranking officials is behind the change in Cheong Wa Dae’s decision.

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On June 2, Cheong Wa Dae changed its mind about having more candidates according to the proposal of Kim Woo-sik, the presidential chief of staff, suggesting that the idea came out of a discussion with the president.

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com