NIS must rebuild trust and prove its capabilities

Chae Hee-won

The author is a visiting professor of Department of Security and North Korean Studies, Graduate School of Public Administration, Dongguk University.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has recently undergone significant changes. A revised Criminal Act has taken effect, expanding espionage offenses beyond activities benefiting North Korea to include spying for foreign countries. Amendments to the National Intelligence Service Act have also been promulgated, explicitly adding economic security to the agency's responsibilities and strengthening its ability to respond to cyberthreats.

The NIS has long faced demands for reform, regardless of the political orientation of successive administrations. This reflects both the Korean Peninsula's unique security circumstances and public aspirations for democracy.

In 1999, the Kim Dae-jung administration introduced provisions prohibiting political interference. In 2014, the Park Geun-hye administration barred NIS personnel from routinely visiting political parties, media organizations and businesses while strengthening penalties for political involvement. In 2020, the Moon Jae-in administration eliminated its authority to collect domestic security intelligence and transferred counterespionage investigations to the police.

While earlier reforms emphasized restricting the agency's powers, recent changes have expanded its responsibilities to address evolving security threats, including economic security, cyberattacks, AI and transnational crime. The NIS has also stepped up efforts to protect citizens, including operations against international voice phishing networks.

Internally, the agency has sought organizational stability and professionalism by avoiding wholesale leadership replacement following changes of government and extending mandatory retirement limits for certain ranks. It is reportedly working to establish legal and institutional safeguards enabling personnel to operate proactively without becoming embroiled in controversies over legality.

Concerns nevertheless remain. Questions persist about cooperation among agencies following the transfer of counterespionage investigations. Critics also argue that repeated political interventions have undermined employee morale and encouraged excessive caution. Others warn that expanded economic security and cybersecurity responsibilities could lead to abuses of authority.

Public distrust also persists because Koreans remember the agency's troubled history dating back to its establishment as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in 1961. Overcoming this legacy remains an important challenge under President Lee Jae Myung.

Still, there are encouraging signs. In Gallup Korea's “2026 Korea Trust Survey,” released in September, the NIS ranked second among eight institutions, behind the Constitutional Court. It ranked sixth when the survey began in 2009 and had remained fourth since 2020.

Yet improved rankings do not mean public trust has been fully restored. The agency must continue demonstrating its credibility through consistent performance.

In 2001, while serving as a visiting researcher at Georgetown University, I frequently passed the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) near Washington. One day, an American traveling with me remarked that seeing the CIA headquarters reassured him because a dependable institution was protecting him.

For someone familiar with Koreans' deep-rooted distrust of intelligence agencies since the KCIA era, his comment was surprising. More than two decades later, it is heartening to see the NIS gradually becoming an institution that earns greater public confidence.

The international environment is increasingly shaped by geopolitical confrontation and armed conflict as countries pursue national interests across ideological divides. Intelligence agencies worldwide are intensifying efforts to protect national interests and public safety.

The CIA established its first chief technology officer position in 2022 to prepare for technological competition. In 2024, Israel's Mossad conducted coordinated pager explosions targeting Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, to counter threats to Israeli citizens.

In July, Japan established its first national intelligence bureau since World War II and plans to accelerate preparations for a foreign intelligence agency next year. Major powers are thus restructuring and strengthening their intelligence capabilities.

The NIS must carefully heed public concerns and criticism while maintaining restraint and earning trust. At the same time, it must develop capabilities comparable to those of leading intelligence agencies worldwide.

Only through professionalism, accountability and proven effectiveness can it become a world-class intelligence organization capable of protecting national security and the safety of Korean citizens on the front lines.