Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang asserted in Busan, Monday, he would abolish the National Intelligence Service involved in illegal electronic surveillance and create a new competitive and neutral intelligence organization if elected president. Lee said the functions of the new intelligence organization would be limited to collecting foreign intelligence, preventing terrorism, and counterintelligence.

The GNP presidential candidate also promised an amendment of the NIS Law in order to regulate the intelligence organization's illegal political involvement, and to execute severe punishments on violators. In addition, he said he would call for an investigation into the NIS by the Board of Audit and Inspection, and at the same time create a new mechanism to control it via the National Assembly Intelligence Committee.

In advance of Lee's statement, Millennium Democratic Party candidate Roh Moo-hyun, also in Busan. promised he would eliminate any political activity by the NIS, while changing its name to "Foreign Intelligence Agency."

Lee and Roh, and Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon Young-kil will participate in a TV debate Tuesday from 8:00pm to 10:00pm, and KBS and other channels will broadcast this historical first. The three candidates temporarily suspended their campaigns from Monday evening in order to prepare for the TV debate, which they view as important. (Choi Jun-seok, jschoi@chosun.com )