NIS briefs National Assembly intelligence committee in closed session

Agency says it has obtained North Korean missile blueprints

National Assembly Intelligence Committee Chairman Lee Yang-su gavels the opening of a plenary session of the committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday. [National Assembly Press Corps]
National Assembly Intelligence Committee Chairman Lee Yang-su gavels the opening of a plenary session of the committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday. [National Assembly Press Corps]

South Korea's National Intelligence Service said Tuesday that signs of dialogue between North Korea and the United States suggest a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump could take place "at any time." The agency also assessed that Kim's daughter Ju-ae has in effect been designated his successor.

The NIS delivered the briefing at a closed plenary session of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee. The contents were relayed by the committee's ruling and opposition party floor managers — Yoon Geon-young of the Democratic Party of Korea and Yoo Young-ha of the People Power Party.

On the prospect of a North Korea-US summit, the NIS said it "should be seen as possible at any time," adding that while "no specific facts confirming direct contact between the two sides have been verified, there are signs of dialogue."

The agency also said it had obtained internal Korean Workers' Party documents and missile blueprints, which it is currently analyzing.

The NIS identified a drive to strengthen counterintelligence capabilities as the main reason North Korea expanded its Reconnaissance General Bureau — which operates under the Korean People's Army General Staff — and renamed it the Reconnaissance General Bureau for Intelligence.

According to the committee's floor managers, the NIS explained that North Korea expanded the bureau "first, to significantly strengthen counterintelligence functions, and second, to have bureau chief Ri Chang-ho concurrently handle the processing of operational intelligence coming out of the war in Ukraine."

Separately, the NIS said it launched a sweeping internal audit on Aug. 25 related to the Dec. 3 emergency martial law incident.

In response to questions on current issues, the NIS said there are "concerns and worries about civilian surveillance" in connection with its North Korea influence operations task force, and that it was "considering personnel measures depending on the results of the special audit."

The task force is the organization at the center of civilian surveillance allegations against the NIS under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration — allegations that Yoo raised at a press conference last month.


youknow@heraldcorp.com