국정원 "北, 풍계리 핵실험장 외부참관단 방문 대비 준비활동"

During today's parliamentary audit, the National Intelligence Service was under scrutiny.
Rival lawmakers questioned North Korea's movements,... as well as debated plans to transfer the agency's investigation rights.
Kim Min-ji has the latest from the national assembly.
North Korea appears to be preparing for a possible visit by foreign experts to verify the shutdown of its nuclear test site.
During a closed-door parliamentary audit,... rival lawmakers quoted the National Intelligence Service as saying that there have been signs of preparations and intelligence-related activity,... and that the North has been revamping accomodation facilities and the entrance near the Yeongbyeon nuclear complex.
North Korea had said during the inter-Korean summit in September that it would be willing to shut down Yeongbyeon... should the U.S. take corresponding measures.
In May, it demolished its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri in the presence of foreign journalists,... and has torn down some of the missile launching facilities at Dongchang-ri.

Another topic of heated debate was reform of South Korea's spy agency... and the possibility of transferring the power to investigate communist activities to another agency.
Reforming the NIS was one of key pledges of President Moon Jae-in as a way of preventing the abuse of power in view of the illegal activities it was involved in under conservative governments,... such as intervening in politics and monitoring civilians.
Currently, one proposal is give to the power to investigate communist activity to the police,... but the opposition parties have been against the idea saying that the agency's main role is to prevent and detect enemy espionage.
Rival lawmakers said that they're working on a deal to provide a grace period of three years,... even if they write the change into law. But some opposition lawmakers said if that's the case, then the actual amendment should be pushed back for another three years as well,... or be carried out under the next government.
NIS chief Suh Hoon said that he will consider the ideas and that his agency will do its best in drafting a proposal.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.