Strengthening Cooperation with the National Intelligence Service and Selecting Security Investigation Experts... Police Accelerate Preparations for 'Counterintelligence Investigation Authority'

In 2024, Major Criminal Investigation Authority Transferred to Police
30 Security Investigation Experts Selected Over 3 Years
Five Joint Investigations by Police and NIS in First Half
Active Cooperation Including Intelligence Sharing

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police, set to take over the counterintelligence investigation authority in 2024, are preparing for a smooth transfer by hiring experts in 'security investigations' and strengthening cooperation with the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

According to the National Police Agency on the 11th, the police announced the "2021 Second Half Police Officer Career Competitive Recruitment Examination (Career Recruitment)" on the 9th, which includes hiring 10 security investigation specialists as sergeants. The recruitment fields are 4 positions in international security, 3 in counter-espionage and counter-terrorism, and 3 in economic security. Candidates must have a master's degree or higher in a related major from domestic or foreign universities, or have at least 2 years of work experience in related fields with a bachelor's degree or higher. The selection process includes a first round of document screening and practical tests, a second round of physical, fitness, and aptitude tests, a third round of eligibility review, and a fourth round of interviews for final selection.

Following the passage of the amended National Intelligence Service Act in the National Assembly plenary session last December, which transfers counterintelligence investigation authority from the NIS to the police, this authority will be fully transferred to the police in 2024. Accordingly, the National Police Agency established the Security Investigation Bureau under the National Investigation Headquarters (NIH), launched in January this year, reorganizing the structure to include security planning and management, investigation command, crime analysis, and even direct investigation units. Additionally, a "NIS-Police Consultative Body" has been formed, and regular cooperation and consultations are ongoing to ensure a smooth transfer of counterintelligence investigation authority.

However, concerns persist that while the NIH’s authority is expanding with the addition of counterintelligence investigation authority following the adjustment of prosecution and police investigation rights, its expertise remains insufficient. To dispel such concerns and secure investigative expertise, the police plan to hire a total of 30 security investigation experts by recruiting 10 annually through 2023.

Joint counterintelligence investigations through close cooperation between the police and the NIS are also underway. The police and NIS jointly investigated five cases in the first half of this year, referring one case to the prosecution. Investigations into the remaining four cases are currently ongoing.

The one case referred involved Lee Jeong-hoon (57), a research fellow at the '4.27 Era Research Institute,' charged with violating the National Security Act. It was revealed that Lee met four times with North Korean operative A, who infiltrated the country disguised as a Japanese-Peruvian national in April 2017, reporting on himself and the domestic progressive camp trends, and receiving training on sending and receiving encrypted orders and reports.

From 2018 to 2019, Lee downloaded encrypted orders posted by North Korea’s southern operations organization on overseas web hard drives and sent 14 reports in five transmissions. He is also charged with publishing two books that advocate or praise Juche ideology, hereditary dictatorship, military-first politics, and possession of nuclear weapons. Lee was arrested through a joint investigation by the NIS and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, detained on May 16, and referred to the prosecution on June 2. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which took over the case, indicted Lee on June 24.

Alongside joint investigations, active information sharing between the two agencies is reported. The National Police Agency received four pieces of intelligence related to National Security Act violations collected by the NIS in the first half of this year and reportedly requested the NIS to provide 14 pieces of information regarding overseas activities of suspects in National Security Act cases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.