Prime Minister: What NIS did was not all illegal or wrong

The leading Saenuri Party is planning to hold a seminar between National Intelligence Service staff and private experts as agreed upon with the opposition parties as a means to investigate the truth of the intelligence agency`s alleged hacking activities before August 14. However, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy is repeatedly demanding the opening up of log files (hacking program usage record).

Rep. Lee Chul-woo, a Saenuri Party assistant administrator for the National Assembly`s information committee, said Wednesday, "We will make efforts to hold the seminar no later than August 14, with likely candidates being August 9, 10, and 11, and visit the National Intelligence Service site." Regarding the New Politics Alliance for Democracy`s demand for opening up the log files, he said, "This is an act of dismantling national security."

The leading party is also cautious on parliament information committee`s visit to the agency to look at the log files. It said the agency will open up the log file, but explain them on the screen, not handed out in print.

Besides the National Intelligence employee surnamed Lim who killed himself due to rising hacking suspicions, there are speculations that there was a team that operated a hacking program. Regarding this issue, Lee said, "The team in question is the technology development research group, with each team comprised of four to five people." He argued that Lim directly operated the group, while other employees researched additional usage methods of the remote control system while carrying out other jobs.

Rep. Shin Kyung-min of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy who is also assistant administrator of the parliament`s information committee, said, "It is meaningless to hold seminar without submission of the log file raw material that we need." He was hinting at not participating the seminar.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Wednesday, "We can`t say that what the National Intelligence Service did was all illegal or wrong," adding, "Since prosecutors` investigation is ongoing, it is necessary to first identify the accurate state and the facts." At a greetings meeting with Shim Sang-jung, new head of progressive Justice Party, who visited the National Assembly, Hwang said, "The government has discussed ways to improve related issues with the National Intelligence Service that is engaged in many disputes, “adding, "We will handle strictly if a national agency is engaged in any spying or wiretapping."