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A Proposed Reform Could Impede South Korean Intelligence Efforts




Analysis

The unusual Sept. 4 arrest of a South Korean member of parliament highlights the continuing divisions seen in South Korean politics and has reignited calls for the reform of the National Intelligence Service. The agency's dual internal and external roles have long been the subject of debate, and if that debate is reopened, Seoul's intelligence efforts with regard to North Korea could be hampered in the short term.
The South Korean National Intelligence Service detained opposition United Progressive Party member Lee Seok Ki on Sept. 4, just hours after the country's National Assembly approved the rare arrest of a sitting lawmaker. Lee is accused of attempting to foment an uprising against the South Korean government in coordination with North Korea. He is also charged with calling on supporters to prepare arms and explosives for a strike against South Korean infrastructure in the event that Pyongyang launches an attack.
Because lawmakers are immune to arrest in South Korea, Seoul was forced to ask the National Assembly to waive Lee's immunity. The Democratic Party, South Korea's main opposition, was faced with a difficult decision: On one hand, if it blocked the arrest, it would open itself up to accusations of supporting the far left and condoning Lee's alleged treason. On the other, a vote to support the move could encourage the government to become more aggressive against politicians it disagreed with, potentially returning South Korea to the autocratic rule of the 1960s and 1970s. Though the Democratic Party ultimately chose to side with the ruling Saenuri Party in supporting Lee's arrest, it also used the vote as an opportunity to call for an accelerated reform of the National Intelligence Service.

North Korea and South Korea

South Korea's National Intelligence Service, formerly known as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, has been under a cloud of scandal due to accusations that agency members tried to interfere in the country's December 2012 national elections in favor of the conservative Saenuri Party. Though the agency has already undergone several reforms since South Korea transitioned from a military-backed government to a democratically elected government in the 1990s, it is still widely perceived to be heavily biased toward the more conservative elements of the South Korean political spectrum. This perception, when combined with South Korea's still-stringent national security laws and the agency's internal and external roles, leaves the National Intelligence Service open to constant accusations of manipulating internal politics and unfairly targeting opponents of government policies.
Allegations of inefficiency have brought the National Intelligence Service under increased scrutiny in recent years, as have complaints that the agency has focused too much on domestic politics and not enough on regional security concerns, such as changes in North Korea's policies and regime. The National Intelligence Service's dual role -- to assess internal national security threats as well as external threats, particularly from North Korea -- means that any scandal or reform affecting one set of duties is likely to impact the other. As the Democratic Party pushes for an accelerated reform of the agency -- which is already facing internal disruptions due to the recent scandal and internal turnover -- South Korea may have difficulty keeping up with changes taking place in North Korea in the near term, as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to solidify his hold on power and shape the direction of Pyongyang's policies.


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