hankyoreh

By Lee Tae-hee, Staff Writer

The National Intelligence Service is conducting polygraph examinations for all its employees.
This information has the opposition contending that the measure is intended to keep intelligence staff quiet in the late stages of the Lee Myung-bak administration.
During a meeting Tuesday of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, NIS director Won Sei-hoon responded to a question by Unified Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Jae-sung asking for confirmation of reports that the service was carrying out large-scale lie detector tests on staff members by saying, "We are carrying them out for all employees, and we will continue to do so in the future."
Choi, who is the UDP's secretary on the committee, quoted Won as saying that the NIS has been conducting polygraph tests since 2003. When asked if those were given to all employees, Won said they were only given to employees suspected of illegal actions, Choi reported.
Sources reported that the NIS began giving polygraph tests to all employees early this year.
It was also confirmed that the NIS recently hired around 30 non-commissioned officers with special forces experience, including former members of the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), special warfare officers, and Marines.
The selection of these employees came before the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
Noting that the National Intelligence Service Act prohibits the organization from having an internal paramilitary organization, Choi said, "We need to clearly determine why these former special forces NCOs were hired and what their role is."

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