Anti-foreign spying bill awaits final vote

Bipartisan momentum is building at the National Assembly for the passage of a set of bills that would expand existing espionage laws to punish spies working for foreign countries other than North Korea.

The anti-foreign espionage bill, which failed to pass in a vote last year, is ripe for passage this time, lawmakers of the two main parties say.

Under the existing laws, South Korea only recognizes spying by North Korea as a punishable crime.

The broadened espionage bill passed the legislative committee last week, and awaits a final vote at the upcoming Assembly plenary session on Nov. 27.

The consensus at the Assembly for expanding the punishable range of foreign espionage activities began to form after a South Korean military intelligence official was caught in August allegedly selling the identities of undercover agents overseas to Chinese officials.

That official was indicted on charges of leaking military secrets. Prosecutors could not charge him with espionage as there was no clear link to North Korea.

In May last year, the National Intelligence Service busted what it concluded to be a covert Chinese “police station” masquerading as a restaurant in Seoul’s Songpa district. The NIS suspects more such stations exist across the country for carrying out unofficial police operations for the Chinese government.

Against the backdrop of recent Chinese spying incidents, the ruling People Power Party claims that reinstating the NIS’ investigative authority is necessary to counter rising threats from foreign agents.

From January this year, the NIS lost its authority to investigate national security-related crimes. Police are now in charge of counterespionage and internal security investigations.

Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok said at a meeting of the ruling party leadership on Thursday that along with the anti-foreign espionage bill his party would push to restore the NIS’ investigative powers.

“In order for the anti-foreign spying bill to be used in a way that protects our national interests after it is passed into law, our intelligence service must regain the power to carry out related investigations,” Han Dong-hoon, the ruling party chair, said Wednesday.