조태용 국정원장 후보자. 연합

[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 조태용 국가정보원장 후보자가 음주운전 이력이 있는 것으로 확인됐다.

2일 코리아헤럴드가 국회를 통해 확보한 자료에 따르면, 조 후보자는 1999년 2월 23일 음주운전이 적발 돼 면허 정지 처분을 받았다.

조 후보자 측은 관련한 입장에 대해 “청문회에서 소상히 밝히겠다”고 답했다.

대통령실 국가안보실장으로 일하던 조 후보자는 지난 달 19일 새 국정원장으로 지명됐다.

〈원문〉

[Exclusive] South Korean spy chief nominee had license suspended for drunk driving

Cho Tae-yong, who was nominated by President Yoon Suk Yeol as the National Intelligence Service director on Dec. 19, once had his driver’s license suspended for driving under the influence.

According to the data The Korea Herald obtained exclusively through the National Assembly on Tuesday, Cho was caught drunk driving on Feb. 23, 1999, and received a license suspension. On Aug. 10 of the same year, the court sentenced him to a fine of 700,000 won ($536).

Until recently, Cho was national security advisor to Yoon. Before, he was the president’s top ambassador to the US.