It was revealed Tuesday that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has made its agents obligatorily report personal information of journalists and politicians who they personally and officially meet. The NIS has computerized the reported information.

According to the NIS’ journalist and politician contact report measure, which the Chosun Ilbo has exclusively acquired, in the form of an order from NIS head Goh Young-gu, the NIS has operated a database on journalists and politicians on the pretext of preventing a security information leakage since last November.

With the measure, NIS agents have to report journalists, senior officials and ordinary employees of central and local daily newspapers; weekly and monthly magazines; broadcasting companies and online newspapers. The targets of the report also include lawmakers and their aides and secretaries; local autonomous government heads and senior officials of political parties.

Controversies over control of the media and inspections of political circles are expected, as personal information of journalists and politicians as well as contact dates, venues and contents have been managed in the NIS integrated computer network.

(englishnews@chosun.com )