hankyoreh

Shortly after returning from his tour of Europe, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol accepted the resignation of Kim Kyou-hyun, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and Kim’s two deputies on Sunday. This wholesale replacement of key intelligence personnel seems to reflect internal strife within the spy agency. By going so far as to NIS leadership, Yoon appears to be asserting his intention of using his office to whip the agency into shape.

Internal discord within the NIS began this past June, when the Yoon administration executed its initial reshuffling of top-level personnel. At the time, media reports were rife with news of intelligence personnel stationed in key bases like New York and Washington, DC, being recalled back to South Korea. A former chief secretary who was reportedly close to Kim was identified at the center of the personnel mismanagement.

People offered varying perspectives regarding the potential replacement of Kim, but Yoon kept him on board. Yoon received an NIS status report on June 28, shortly after the personnel reshuffle. Afterward, he offered Kim some words of encouragement, saying “I ask that you commit yourself fully to national security and to the safety of Korean citizens.”

Yet the reshuffle resumed at the beginning of November. Although stripped of his official title in a former reshuffle, rumors alleged that this former aide to Kim was still involved in NIS affairs and appointments. The presidential office reportedly started investigating these rumors. First NIS Deputy Director Kwon Chun-taek, tasked with heading foreign intelligence, was reportedly under investigation for professional misconduct involving the private sector. Kim replaced the NIS senior officer for personnel affairs, a key position, while Yoon was abroad this month. This action reportedly contributed to the decision that led to Kim’s forced resignation.

Yoon accepted the resignations of the top three NIS officials on the same day he returned from tours of the United Kingdom and France. The expediency of the resignations reflects a determination to bring a swift resolution to internal discord. Since Kim had lost functional authority over the NIS, Yoon seems to have decided that a complete overhaul was necessary to put a stop to internal conflict and maintain the agency’s functionality.

A Yoon administration insider told the Hankyoreh, “Rather than taking sides, he [Yoon] is holding all sides accountable.”

“The decision considered all factors, including the NIS director’s inability to lead his own agency,” the insider added.

Potential candidates to replace the NIS director include Kim Yong-hyun, the chief of the presidential security service; former National Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup; and Chun Yung-woo, a national security adviser during the Lee Myung-bak administration and chairman of the Korean Peninsula Future Forum. The presidential office has indicated that it seeks to appoint a new NIS director before the end of the year.

Yoon selected Hong Jang-won, a former diplomat who served at the Korean Embassy in London, to be the first deputy director of the NIS. Appointing a former diplomat instead of a career intelligence officer to this position breaks precedent.

“The goal of enhancing South Korean intelligence and cooperation with the US has been achieved,” another Yoon administration insider explained, adding that “North Korea’s recent provocation” factored into Hong’s appointment as first deputy director.

By Kim Mi-na, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]