South Korea's Defense Counterintelligence Command will be disbanded following allegations of its involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in 2024. The move aims to curb the command's perceived unchecked authority.
The dismantling of the Defense Counterintelligence Command signifies a significant restructuring of South Korea's military intelligence apparatus, aimed at preventing potential abuses of power and ensuring a clearer separation between intelligence functions and political influence.
SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Defense Counterintelligence Command is slated for dissolution, 49 years after its establishment, due to its alleged role in a failed martial law bid by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024. The Ministry of National Defense announced the overhaul plan, which aims to curb the command's perceived unchecked authority.
Under the restructuring, a new Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters will be established within the ministry. This new body will assume the command's core responsibilities, including anti-espionage, defense industry intelligence, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity. However, functions related to background checks and personnel vetting, which critics argue contributed to the command's accumulation of political power beyond its mandate, will be abolished.
Additionally, a new entity tentatively named the Agency for Defense Security Support will be created to manage military security functions such as inspections and investigations at corps-level units and above. The authority for national security-related investigations, including joint probes during martial law scenarios, will be transferred to the ministry's existing investigation headquarters.
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