Han Dong-hoon again claims US denied entry to NIS chief; spy agency rebuffs allegation

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said Wednesday that the National Intelligence Service had in effect acknowledged his claim, made Tuesday, that NIS Director Lee Jong-seok was denied entry to the United States.

The NIS immediately pushed back, however, issuing a press statement saying the allegation was "not true at all."

Han first raised the claim Tuesday during the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's national audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying he had learned that around March this year, Lee had attempted to visit the United States but was denied entry because Washington took issue with his anti-American leanings, among other concerns.

Speaking Wednesday at the committee's national audit of the Ministry of Unification, held at the Inter-Korean Talks Building in Jongno-gu, Han said he had received a response from the NIS at around 6 a.m. that day. He said the agency told him the matter involved "intelligence cooperation between South Korea and the United States and issues related to national security," and that it was therefore "difficult to respond."

Han added that the NIS confirmed verbally that the response had been made "in accordance with guidelines from NIS headquarters."

Han contrasted that response with the NIS's detailed rebuttal — issued through a press statement — of separate media reports Tuesday that a visa had been denied to an NIS officer scheduled to be posted to the United States. "By common sense, the NIS statement that came out a day later amounts to a tacit admission that the claim I raised is true," he said.

Han also posted the same remarks on his social media accounts.

In response, the NIS said in its press statement that it "again makes clear that the claim regarding the United States denying entry to the NIS director is not true at all."

The agency also said Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had stated at the national audit on Tuesday that the allegation was not true.

At Tuesday's national audit of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Cho rebuffed Han's claim, saying, "As far as I know, that did not happen," and adding, "There is no way that could be the case." Cho and Han also clashed over each other's questioning and responses on issues including the public disclosure of North Korean prisoner-of-war repatriations by Ukraine.