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Kim Byung-kee and Seo Young-kyo, candidates for floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DP), pose for a photo ahead of a joint debate at the National Assembly on June 10. / Photo by Lee Byung-hwa

Rep. Kim Byung-kee, who is running for the floor leadership of the Democratic Party, firmly denied allegations that his son was unfairly hired by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), declaring on June 11 that he would resign from the National Assembly if any wrongdoing were found.

In a statement addressing the growing controversy over alleged preferential treatment, Kim said, “If there was any irregularity, I will step down from my post as a lawmaker. But if not, I demand proper punishment for those involved in defaming us.”

Kim explained that his son, who was serving as an officer in the Defense Security Command in 2014, passed all stages of the NIS open recruitment process — including document screening, written exam, medical and physical tests, and interviews — but failed the final background check. In 2017, however, he cleared that last step and was admitted with top marks. “Which of the two background checks was correct? I still have not received an answer,” Kim said.

He went on to claim that prior to speaking with NIS Planning and Coordination Director Heon-soo Lee in 2017, his wife was informed by a former internal affairs officer that “a certain faction that hated Kim Byung-kee had conspired to overturn the original pass result and disqualify the applicant in 2014.”

Kim argued, “Even the leadership at the time was aware of this unlawful conduct. What parent wouldn’t be enraged? Yet now, a decade later, people focus on the mother’s protest, ignoring the real wrongdoers.”

He also rejected recent media reports that he acknowledged his son’s disability in a petition he submitted, calling it a malicious distortion. “Where in the document does it say I recognized a disability? How could someone with a disability serve as an officer in the Defense Security Command and pass the NIS’s in-depth interviews and physical tests?”

Kim said he would pursue legal action against MBC reporters Kim Sang-hoon and Kim Jung-woo, who first reported the story.

He concluded, “I call on the NIS to clarify the facts. If the 2014 disqualification was valid, I will take full responsibility and resign as a lawmaker. If the 2017 result was correct, then those responsible must be held accountable now. If the agency fails to clarify this, I will no longer trust the NIS and will formally request investigations into those involved in this misconduct.”