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NIS Director Suh Hoon at a plenary session of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on Dec. 5. (Yonhap News)

A date for a reciprocal visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not yet been decided because the matter is tied to dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon explained on Dec. 5.

Speaking in a briefing after a plenary session of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that day, Bareunmirae Party lawmaker and committee chair Lee Hak-jae quoted the NIS director as saying, “Because the matter of Kim Jong-un’s reciprocal visit is tied to North Korea-US dialogue, progress there will be shared with [progress in North Korea-US dialogue].”

“Since there have been numerous reports [placing the visit date] on the 10th or the 18th, I asked if the NIS had any information related to this report and he said nothing had been decided,” Lee explained.

Lee also quoted Suh as responding to reports of a failed attempt at a meeting between US Central Intelligence Agency Korea Mission Center chief Andrew Kim and Workers’ Party of Korea United Front Department Director Kim Yong-chol, who are coordinating talks between Pyongyang and Washington. According to Lee, Suh explained that the two of them “did not meet, nor did they ever have plans to meet,” adding that NIS and CIA were in “sufficient communication on who in North Korea they are meeting and what the US position is.”

The meeting on Dec. 5 was attended by NIS Director Suh Hoon. The committee also approved the 2019 NIS budget for submission to the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. While Lee said he could not disclose the size of the NIS budget because of its confidential status, he added that it had been “partially reduced.”

By Lee Kyung-mi, staff reporter

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