South Korean spy chief nominee vows to help build peace on Korean Peninsula

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Lee Jong-seok, the nominee to lead South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), vowed Thursday to work toward building "unwavering" peace on the Korean Peninsula by creating a favorable external environment for national security, local media reported.

His comments during his parliamentary confirmation hearing came after newly-elected President Lee Jae-myung pledged to suspend hostilities and resume dialogue with North Korea to ease military tensions and build peace, Yonhap News Agency reported

Lee Jong-seok, who served as principal deputy national security adviser from 2003 to 2005 and unification minister in 2006, was nominated as the first NIS chief under President Lee earlier this month.

"I think peace can be advanced when strong defense capabilities and dialogue and negotiations based on them operate in a virtuous cycle," he said during the hearing.

"If given the opportunity to serve as NIS chief, I will prioritize building an unwavering and robust peace."

Stating his "long-held belief" that the priority of diplomacy and security policy should be to create a favorable external environment for national security and prosperity, he pledged to pursue that goal amid growing global protectionism.

He said he would strengthen the NIS's intelligence capabilities on North Korea to support the president's efforts to build peace on the peninsula.

*Writing by Aamir Latif