Spy agency speaks out on sudden resignation of high-ranking official

By Kuksung Nam, The Readable
Oct. 27, 2022 4:56PM KST

The South Korean spy agency issued a statement on Thursday saying that the resignation of a former high-ranking official was due to personal reasons, brushing aside multiple speculations related to the reasons for his abrupt departure.

Cho Sang-joon, the head of Planning and Coordination of the National Intelligence Service, abruptly resigned from his post on Tuesday after approximately four months in office, multiple local news outlets reported. His resignation came a day before the parliamentary audit of the spy agency which was planned to be held on Wednesday.

After the initial reports, speculations mounted over the specific reason for the sudden resignation, including a conflict within the agency regarding the appointment of employees, although the Office of the President explained on Wednesday that the head of Planning and Coordination of the NIS was leaving his post for personal reasons.

The NIS also pushed back against the reports. “It is completely false,” the NIS said in the statement. “We have been informed that the former head of Planning and Coordination has expressed his resignation for personal reasons.”

President Yoon formally nominated Cho Sang-joon, a former deputy chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, to serve as the head of Planning and Coordination of the NIS in June. The post is one of the highest ranking positions in the office, covering the budget and management of the spy agency.

nam@thereadable.co

Kuksung Nam is a cybersecurity journalist for The Readable. She covers cybersecurity issues in South Korea, including the public and private sectors. Prior to joining The Readable, she worked as a political reporter for one of the top-five local newspapers in South Korea, The Kyeongin Ilbo, where she reported several exclusive stories regarding the misconduct of local government officials. She is currently focused on issues related to anti-fraud, as well as threats and crimes in cyberspace. She is a Korean native who is fluent in English and French, and she is interested in delivering the news to a global audience.