ⓒ YONHAP News

Newly appointed National Intelligence Service(NIS) Director nominee Park Jie-won said he would leave politics behind and faithfully stick to the basic duties of spy chief during his confirmation hearing on Monday.

President Moon Jae-in's nominee to lead South Korea's main intelligence agency is the former chief of staff of late President Kim Dae-jung. 

In naming Park Jie-won, credited for arranging the first-ever inter-Korean summit 20 years ago, Moon is seeking to improve strained cross-border ties.   

But from the main opposition party's point of view, the nominee is too politically skillful and too close to North Korea for a spy chief, enough for its floor leader to call him a "person in league with the enemy."

During his confirmation hearing on Monday, the former four-term lawmaker pledged to leave behind his mastery of politics.

"As a secret and special envoy, I made the 2000 Inter-Korean Summit take place and spent jail time because of it. I was since pardoned and have worked as a politician, coming this far as to stand in a confirmation hearing for Director of the National Intelligence Service. There were ups and downs but there is no regret. I would like to bury the personal history at [the front yard of the NIS'] Naegok-dong [headquarters], and only focus on the path the Republic of Korea will take. I will erase politician Park Jie-won and be reborn as a strict government officer."  

Following Kim Dae-jung's presidential term, Park was sentenced to three years in prison for the illicit transfer of 450 million dollars to North Korea from South Korea’s Hyundai Group in the lead-up to the inter-Korean talks.   

During Monday's hearing, Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of the main opposition United Future Party alleged that the nominee has a record of breaking rules for personal gains as well. 

Rep. Ha Tae-kyung: "In the year 2000 when you gained political influence, you threatened Dankook University to fabricate your educational record to hide your dark past. We would like to shed light on this. Is it true that you requested a correction on your record in 2000? Give us a short answer. Have you? 

Nominee Park Jie-won: "Representative, although I am at a confirmation hearing, [it is unfair] for you to limit the length of my answer while mentioning words like 'fabrication' and 'threat'."   

Rep. Ha claimed that the nominee fabricated his two-year college record in the process of transferring to a four-year bachelor program at Dankook University 55 years ago, and pressed Park to provide the transcript used in the application. 

The nominee has refused the request.