National Intelligence Service (South Korea)

National Intelligence Service

국가정보원 國家情報院
Agency overview
Formed	13 June 1961; 63 years ago (1961-06-13)
Preceding agencies	Korea Central Intelligence Agency (1961–81) Agency for National Security Planning (1981–99)
Type	Independent
Jurisdiction	Government of South Korea
Headquarters	Naegok-dong, Seocho District, Seoul
Motto	We work in the dark to serve the light (1961)
Employees	Classified
Annual budget	Classified
Minister responsible	Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Intelligence
Agency executives	Hong Jang-won, 1st Deputy Director (North Korea, Overseas Information Collection) Hwang Won-jin, 2nd Deputy Director (Domestic Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Anti-Communist Investigation) Yoon Oh-joon, 3rd Deputy Director (Cyber Security and Science & Technology) Kim Nam-woo, Director of Planning and Coordination Office (Organization Management & Budget)
Parent agency	President of South Korea
Website	Official website

The National Intelligence Service (NIS; Korean: 국가정보원, 국정원; Hanja: 國家情報院, 國情院; RR: Gukga Jeongbowon, Gukjeongwon; MR: Kukka Chŏngbowŏn, Kukchŏngwŏn) is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA; Korean: 중앙정보부; Hanja: 中央情報部; RR: Jungangjeongbobu; MR: Chungangjŏngbobu), during the rule of general Park Chung Hee’s military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the Second Republic of Korea. The original duties of the KCIA were to supervise and coordinate both international and domestic intelligence activities and criminal investigations by all government intelligence agencies, including that of the military. The agency’s broad powers allowed it to actively intervene in politics. Agents undergo years of training and checks before they are officially inducted and receive their first assignments.

The agency took on the name Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP; Korean: 국가안전기획부, 안기부; Hanja: 國家安全企劃部, 安企部) in 1981, as part of a series of reforms instituted by the Fifth Republic of Korea under President Chun Doo-hwan. Besides trying to acquire intelligence on North Korea and suppress South Korean activists, the ANSP, like its predecessor, was heavily involved in activities outside its sphere, including domestic politics and promoting the 1988 Summer Olympics. During its existence, the ANSP engaged in numerous cases of human rights abuse such as torture,^[1] as well as election tampering.^[2]

In 1999, the agency assumed its current name. The more democratic and current Sixth Republic of Korea has seen a significant reduction in the role of the NIS in response to public criticisms about past abuses.