Alleged espionage attempt embarrasses S. Korea
The deepening riddle over a break-in allegedly involving South Korean intelligence officials presents diplomatic embarrassment to the country and threatens to foil its attempt to seal an export deal.
It was reported earlier this week that three unidentified people who broke into a hotel room of visiting Indonesian presidential envoys last week were actually officials at South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The intruders intruded into the hotel room in downtown Seoul in an apparent attempt to steal laptops and fled after being walked in on by a member of the Indonesian delegation.
The Indonesian delegation, led by Indonesia’s coordinating economic minister Hatta Rajasa, was visiting Seoul last week at the invitation of President Lee Myung-bak. The delegates, six of whom are ministerial-level officials, asked for support of the South Korean government and local firms for their major economic projects.
Lee pledged the country’s active participation in the Indonesia Economic Development Corridors (IEDCs), mostly focused on developing Indonesian industries and building infrastructure, saying he will seek a reciprocal, “win-win cooperation strategy.”
The attempted theft, however, presented an unexpected hurdle in the growing rapport between South Korea and Indonesia, with the NIS becoming a lightning rod for criticism for what appears to be its bungled intelligence project.
The agency also has become something of a laughing stock — the three intruders, if they were indeed NIS officials, were far from professionals. Police have said the suspects returned to the room to give back the laptops, and were filmed by a CCTV camera at the hotel.
The NIS has a history of causing a diplomatic row for its activities. Espionage attempts of a South Korean official based in Libya upset Libyan officials last year, leading Seoul to replace its top envoy to the country.
Despite the intelligence agency’s repeated denial, speculation runs high that the NIS head, Won Se-hoon, has already tendered resignation to the president for causing diplomatic embarrassment.
“This incident did an irreparable damage to South Korea’s international reputation. The country will be repeatedly embarrassed for this incident,” a senior official at the main opposition Democratic Party said Tuesday at a party meeting.
“The government should get to the bottom of the incident and immediately fire the head of the National Intelligence Service to restore its tainted reputation,” the official said.
Indonesia, on its part, has officially asked South Korea to look into the case. Nicolas T Dammen, Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, visited the foreign ministry in Seoul Monday to ask for confirmation of the alleged involvement of NIS officials. The foreign ministry said it plans to notify Indonesia as soon as local reports are confirmed.
Dong-a Ilbo newspaper here reported the NIS will likely take disciplinary action against the three officials implicated in the incident and express regret to Indonesia to placate the country.
Local media also say the president’s efforts to clinch a major defense deal with Indonesia have met a challenge with the botched espionage attempt.
South Korea has been seeking to sell T-50 Golden Eagle trainers to Indonesia, after it failed to sell them to Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, another leading daily here, quoted an unnamed senior official as saying that the export deal with Indonesia looked poised to be sealed before the incident took place.
Source: Xinhua