List of Illegally Bugged Tapes Was Made in 1999.

Lee Geon-mo (60), who headed the investigation team of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 1999 when Gong Un-young (58), the former head of the clandestine bugging team (codenamed Mirim and of the National Security and Planning Agency, the predecessor of the NIS), returned the illegally bugged tapes, said on August 3 that five to seven employees of the spy agency made a list of all the tapes shortly after they received the tapes from Mr. Gong.

Lee said, “After comparing our list of tapes and the recording logs that Gong submitted, we found out that there were many tapes without recording logs,” adding, “There were more than 13 logs that prosecutors have recently confiscated at the home of Gong.”

Lee explained, “The list was locked and kept in the security team office so no outsider could possibly take it away. Later, we destroyed the tapes, checking them against the list,” adding, “In the end, the list itself was destroyed.”

He also said, “The wiretapping targets encompassed virtually all people from political establishments, including members of the ruling and opposition parties, journalists, prosecutors, and even employees of the NIS. But I can’t elaborate on the contents of the tapes.”

He also said, “We understand that many influential politicians both from the ruling and opposition parties contacted Gong to get their hands on the tapes after he had returned the tapes to the NIS.”

ditto@donga.com