Institute for Democracy Director Yang Jeong-cheol had a closed door meeting with National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon last week. 

The meeting is likely to stir controversy since Yang is a confidant of President Moon Jae-in while Suh is obliged to be politically neutral as chief of the country's spy agency

According to media reports on Monday, Yang met Suh at a restaurant in southern Seoul last Tuesday evening, a week after the former’s inauguration as head of the ruling Democratic Party think tank.

The meeting lasted for four hours. 

Yang had stayed out of politics for two years following Moon’s inauguration. Recently, however, the close Moon aide assumed leadership of the think tank, taking charge of setting up the ruling party’s strategies and policies for next year’s general election.

Yang said in a text message to reporters that the meeting was just a casual one that included other long-time acquaintances. Yang and Suh had also worked together in the Moon campaign when Moon was a presidential candidate.