Korean Government Disbands the Defense Counterintelligence Command
Hopefully this disbandment doesn’t lead to a lack of enforcement against North Korean and Chinese intelligence activities within South Korea:
The Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) will be dismantled and its functions will be dispersed among newly established organizations, as part of the Ministry of National Defense’s plan to reduce the unit’s unchecked power.
The ministry unveiled a sweeping reform plan on Wednesday, after the military intelligence agency drew criticism for being misused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of his Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration.
The ministry said the overhaul is intended to prevent any future political involvement of military intelligence organizations by dismantling the concentration of power in the DCC.
“The reform plan goes beyond a simple organizational restructuring or adjustment of functions,” Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a press conference.
“This will serve as a historic watershed in rebuilding our military intelligence apparatus so that it can never again become involved in politics.”
Under the plan, the command will be dissolved and its functions split among three separate organizations.
A defense counterintelligence headquarters will be set up to oversee counterintelligence activities, defense industry-related intelligence operations and cybersecurity missions.
Military security functions, including security audits and investigations into security incidents, will be transferred to a new defense security support unit, while national security investigations and wartime joint investigative authority will be reassigned to an investigative body to be established within the ministry.
You can read more at the link.
