Ex-Spy Heads Convicted of Wiretapping
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The high court has upheld a lower court's ruling that found two
former heads of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) guilty for
their involvement in the agency's illegal wiretapping of phone
conversations of high-profile figures.
The Seoul High Court Thursday confirmed the sentences on Lim
Dong-won, 73, and Shin Gunn, 66, former NIS directors during the Kim
Dae-jung administration (1998-2003) of three years imprisonment
suspended for four years.
They were indicted in December 2005 on charges of violating the law
on communications privacy, and the appellate court acknowledged they
conspired in the spy agency's unlawful activity.
``The tapping team operated 24 hours a day and Lim and Shin were
aware of the operation,'' the court said in its ruling.
They regularly received reports of cell phone conversations of
political and business leaders, journalists and even ordinary
citizens, it said.
``Consequently the two were aware that the information was collected
through illegal eavesdropping,'' the court said.
``Although the case is important as the bugging was committed
systematically by the state agency, we handed down a suspended term
because Lim and Shin did not do so for their own interests and it may
have been difficult for them to root out the habitual practice that
had been handed down from their predecessors,'' the court said.
The court said it could not listen to testimonies from some former
and incumbent NIS officials as the current spy agency head had not
allowed them to testify, adding the government should revise the law
governing the NIS so that agents will be able to testify without the
NIS head's approval.
Lim and Shin said they will appeal to the Supreme Court.
rah..._at_koreatimes.co.kr
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Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:22 CST