Rival camps clashed on Thursday at the confirmation hearing of National Intelligence Service director nominee Cho Tae-yong over large rent that Cho had received from a subsidiary of ExxonMobil several years ago. 

Cho received a total amount of some 342 million won from the ExxonMobil subsidiary after receiving a monthly rent of nine-and-a-half million won between September 2017 and September 2020 for leasing two floors of a three-story building in Itaewon.

The nominee said his family lived on the first floor and he had leased the second and third floors to the subsidiary with a contract through a real estate agent. 

Ruling People Power Party Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig defended Cho, saying the lease was a normal transaction given the location of the building. 

Asked if he had personally met or spoken with the tenant, Cho said he had not. 

The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) raised suspicions that the rent deal could be linked to an illegal transaction or bribery and stressed the need for an inspection at the government-level. The party said there had been similar cases in the past when foreign companies had paid rent to South Korean officials related to foreign affairs or trade.