YONHAP NEWS

Incoming gov't to rebuild role of intelligence service

   SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- The incoming government plans to transform the country's intelligence service into a world-class spy agency that can aid national decision-making, officials from the presidential transition team said Saturday.

   In a closed-door meeting to examine the policy direction of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Rep. Chin Soo-hee, who heads the transition team's political affairs panel, stressed the need to strengthen the country's intelligence agency.

   "Intelligence is key to survival and competitiveness in the 21st century, and because of this, the role of the NIS cannot be emphasized enough," the Grand National Party lawmaker said.

   Chin accused the country's intelligence service of squandering its potential over the past 10 years by neglecting its duty to conduct counterespionage operatives, instead blindly following the policy directive of the former progressive administrations.

   Chin said that the stature of the NIS will be upgraded under the new administration, so the NIS can join the ranks of other first-rate intelligence services like the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

   The close supporter of President-elect Lee Myung-bak, who will be inaugurated in February, added that more effort must be made to upgrade the personal expertise of agents.

   Sources said the new administration is weighing the option of turning the NIS into the main organization that collects and analyzes critical information that can help assist national decision-making.

   At present, the role of collecting information and intelligence is spread out among several government agencies, including the Defense Ministry, the police, and the Foreign Ministry.

   Although the NIS plans to boost its capabilities, the officials said that administrative action can be taken to block the agency from monitoring domestic events that are not linked to counterespionage.

   yonngong@yna.co.kr
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