NIS Urgently Summons All Department Heads... Opposition Says "It's Nothing But a Comedy"

NIS "All Department Heads Summoned"... Unprecedented Schedule Disclosure
Yoon Geon-yeong "Have You Ever Seen an Intelligence Agency Publicize Its Schedule?"
Top Leadership Abruptly Replaced... Speculation of "Responsibility for Personnel Controversy"

With the simultaneous replacement of Kim Gyu-hyun, the Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the first and second deputy directors, the NIS, which underwent a 'top leadership reshuffle,' announced on the 28th that it convened all department heads for an emergency meeting. It is unusual for the intelligence authorities to disclose agency schedules externally first, and this is interpreted as an effort to manage the negative public opinion surrounding the 'personnel turmoil.' The Democratic Party criticized this move, calling it a "farce."

The NIS stated that it held an emergency meeting of all department heads early that morning at its headquarters in Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. An NIS official said, "Hong Jang-won, the newly appointed first deputy director (acting director), thoroughly reviewed the current issues of each department and instructed active mission execution," adding, "He emphasized the establishment of strict organizational discipline and conveyed a strong determination to all employees that there must be no information gaps or public anxiety under the acting director system."

Kim Kyu-hyun, Director of the National Intelligence Service, is attending the National Assembly Intelligence Committee's audit held at the NIS office in Naegok-dong on the 1st. From left, Kwon Chun-taek, First Deputy Director; Director Kim; Kim Su-yeon, Second Deputy Director. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

During the meeting, discussions reportedly covered ▲ the heavy armament of North Korean frontline surveillance posts ▲ North Korea's follow-up movements after the reconnaissance satellite launch ▲ the Hamas-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war amid the US-China hegemonic competition ▲ global supply chain crises and cyber hacking, among other security threats.

An NIS official stated, "We pledged to be thoroughly prepared for any possible military provocations by North Korea and to respond swiftly to various security threats," adding, "This emergency meeting of all department heads holds significance as it reaffirmed the NIS's resolve to protect national security without wavering despite the vacancy in the director position."

The Democratic Party pointed to the NIS's unusual disclosure of the schedule as a "farce." Yoon Gun-young, the Democratic Party's floor leader on the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "It's nothing short of a comedy," and criticized, "Have you ever seen the North Korean United Front Department announce an all-department heads meeting externally, or the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) disclose such information?" He added, "The People Power Party responded to the Intelligence Committee's request to convene a meeting to understand the circumstances of the sudden leadership replacement by saying 'this is not the situation,' showing they continue to make bad moves."

Earlier, on the 26th, after returning from a European tour, President Yoon Suk-yeol abruptly accepted the resignations of Director Kim Gyu-hyun, First Deputy Director Kwon Chun-taek, and Second Deputy Director Kim Su-yeon, sparking controversy. Some speculated that this was a move to hold them accountable for the successive 'personnel noise,' and the Democratic Party has demanded convening a full meeting of the Intelligence Committee to investigate the circumstances. Democratic Party members of the Intelligence Committee criticized in a statement the day before, calling it "an unprecedented event in the history of the NIS," and said, "It is as if the government itself is confessing that the NIS has deteriorated to the point where even irrational measures are necessary."

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