[Editorial] Facing same fate?

The measure taken by the Justice Ministry last week to ban former intelligence chief Won Sei-hoon from leaving the country has been viewed by many people as signaling a repeat of what the nation used to see after a power transfer. The former director of the National Intelligence Service, who is under investigation for interfering in domestic politics while in office, is known to have canceled a plan to embark on an overseas trip Sunday.

Though his associates said he was scheduled to return home after staying in Japan for a few days, critics noted his move could be construed as an attempt to avoid the impending investigation. Regardless of his true intention, it seemed far from good judgment that a former intelligence chief set to undergo inquiry was to go abroad, causing unnecessary confusion.

The travel ban was imposed on him Thursday, when he stepped down as NIS head. Shortly before his resignation, he was sued by an opposition party and six labor and civic groups on charges that he had violated the law prohibiting the spy agency from involvement in domestic political affairs and elections.

In the lead-up to last December’s presidential vote, a dispute arose after an NIS employee was caught using various Internet identities to post writings unfavorable to liberal opposition candidate Rep. Moon Jae-in. An opposition lawmaker recently revealed what she claimed to be records of Won’s remarks instructing agency officials to publicize the accomplishments of the previous administration of President Lee Myung-bak, who ended his five-year term last month.

The prosecution, which requested the travel ban, plans to summon the former intelligence head soon for interrogation. It is yet to be seen whether criminal charges could be brought against him. But it should be no surprise if he is subject to legal punishment.

Nearly all of his predecessors were punished for their involvement in domestic politics and elections. The intelligence chiefs under former presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung were convicted of attempting to influence the outcome of the 1997 presidential election and approving eavesdropping on political opponents in the early 2000s, respectively. The top intelligence aide to former President Roh Moo-hyun was sued by the agency he had led for having leaked classified records of Roh’s 2007 summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in an interview with a Japanese magazine in 2011.

It will be the work of the prosecution to find out whether Won, a close confidant to former President Lee, violated his obligation to maintain political neutrality while in office. As some observers note, however, it seems that he was not much different from his predecessors in placing the interest of the ruling bloc ahead of the duty to strengthen national security.

His misguided management was criticized for having led to excluding veteran experts from key posts, which had been instead filled with figures loyal to him, weakening the agency’s capability of gathering and analyzing sensitive information on North Korea. The NIS was embarrassed when it had remained in the dark until the North’s state media belatedly announced the death of Kim Jong-il in December 2011. During his four-year tenure, the agency also suffered a string of fiascos in many other intelligence operations.

It is right that Won’s successor, former Army general Nam Jae-joon, is pushing for reform measures to strengthen the agency’s function regarding North Korea and put it beyond domestic politics. The ongoing controversy over Won’s alleged interference in domestic politics should not be allowed to rattle the foundation and operation of the spy agency. At a time of mounting tensions with North Korea and rapidly changing international security and economic environments, the agency’s ability to carry out its proper missions should be reinforced. In this vein, the prosecution is urged to conduct the probe in a swift and objective manner to stop the controversy from being unnecessarily prolonged.