[단독] 이종석 국정원장 후보자, '서해피격·강제북송' 입장 묻자 "취임 시 살펴볼 것"

"친북적이란 평가 절대 동의 못해"
[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 이종석 국가정보원장 후보자가 '서해 공무원 피살 사건'과 '탈북 어민 강제북송 사건'을 검토할 의사를 나타낸 것으로 알려졌다.
18일 코리아헤럴드가 확인한 인사청문 자료에서 이 후보자는 피살 공무원과 탈북 어민 사건 관련한 입장을 묻는 질의에 "세종연구소 연구원으로 재직하던 시기에 발생한 사건으로 정확한 사실관계를 알지 못한다"면서, "국정원장으로 취임하게 된다면 관련 내용을 살펴보겠다"고 짧게 답했다.
2020년 9월 서해에서 북한군의 총격에 숨진 해양수산부 공무원 이대준 씨 사건과 관련한 재판은 2023년 3월 첫 공판 후 지금까지 이어지고 있다. 2019년 11월 귀순 의사를 밝힌 북한 어민들이 북송된 사건 관련한 2심 재판은 지난 6월 시작했다.
인사청문 자료를 보면 이 후보자는 자신의 대북관과 관련해 일각에서 제기한 의혹을 전면 부인했다.
그는 "북한과 한반도를 심층 연구했다는 이유로 친북적이라고 하는 평가에는 절대 동의할 수 없다"고 밝혔다. 이어 "한반도 비핵화를 통한 평화 체계를 구축하기 위해서는 북한·남북관계·동북아정세 등에 대한 깊은 이해와 통찰이 필요하다고 생각한다"고 설명했다.
김정은 북한 국무위원장의 통치 스타일에 대해 이 후보자는 김 국무위원장의 할아버지인 김일성 주석의 방식과 유사하다는 평가를 했다.
그는 "김정은은 주민 접촉과 현장 지휘 및 공개 회의를 선호한다는 점에서 김일성의 통치 스타일과 일맥상통하는 측면이 있다"며, "김정일이 밀실 통치를 선호하고 대중과의 스킨십을 자제하며 가족 등 사적 영역 공개를 꺼렸던 것과는 큰 차이가 있다"고 했다.
이 후보자는 윤석열 정부 때 효력이 정지된 9·19 남북군사합의가 다시 복원돼야 한다고 봤다.
그는 "9.19 군사합의의 복원이 가장 바람직하다고 생각한다"면서 "다만, 복원이 어려울 경우 그에 준하는 남북한 간의 군사적 긴장완화를 위한 합의 조치가 필요하다고 생각한다"고 했다.
이 후보자는 윤 정부의 대중외교에 대해서도 비판적인 입장을 보였다.
그는 "지난 정부는 이념과 가치의 관점으로만 중국을 바라보면서 불필요한 갈등을 빚는 등 한중관계의 안정적 관리에 미흡한 측면이 있었다"고 지적했다. 그러면서 "대중관계에 있어 양국 간 공통이익 분야를 중심으로 교류와 협력을 심화하되, 우리 국익 침해에 대해서는 원칙을 갖고 대처해야 한다"고 했다.
이 후보자의 인사청문회는 19일에 열린다.
(arin@heraldcorp.com)
[Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee
South Korea's spy chief nominee Lee Jong-seok said he believes the now-suspended inter-Korean military pact, reached between former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, should be restored.
According to his response to the National Assembly's questions submitted Wednesday, a day ahead of his confirmation hearing, Lee said that reinstating the pact, which was suspended by North Korea in 2023 and by the Yoon administration the next year, was "most desirable."
"It is my opinion that restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement is most desirable," he said, in a written response, accessed by The Korea Herald. "But if it is not possible to restore the agreement, I think it is necessary to take commensurate measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas."
Lee was also critical of Yoon's China diplomacy.
Lee said the previous administration "did not adequately manage the relations between South Korea and China, viewing China only through the lens of ideology and causing unnecessary conflicts."
Lee said that when it comes to South Korea's relations with China, a key trade partner, the two countries "pursue areas of common interest."
But he added that when South Korea's "national interests are infringed upon," the country needed to "take measures based on principles."
Lee denied allegations, raised by some within the opposition People Power Party, of his having "pro-North Korea views."
"I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. "I believe that in order to achieve denuclearization and build a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula, one must have a deep understanding of, and insight into North Korea and the surrounding region."
On North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's governing style, Lee said he took after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung.
"Kim Jong-un's governing style is more in line with Kim Il-sung's in that he favors more contact with the people, on-the-ground leadership, and public meetings," Lee said. "This is different from his father Kim Jong-il who preferred to rule behind closed doors and refrained from interacting with the public."
When asked about where he stands on the 2020 shooting murder of a South Korean government official by North Korean troops, Lee said he was "not aware of all the facts" as he was at the time a scholar at a policy institute.
"If I am appointed as the director of the National Intelligence Service, I will look into the matter," Lee said.
In 2022, the NIS filed a criminal complaint against its former director Park Jie-won, who is now a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, for allegedly destroying the spy agency's confidential materials related to the South Korean official's death. The criminal trial for Park and other high-level officials at the time is still underway.
Lee awaits a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly, slated for Thursday.

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