Military Intelligence Command, Exposure of Covert Missions Amid Legal Disputes Between Commanders [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Transferring Missions to Civil Organizations While Continuing Use of Military Facilities

The Republic of Korea Army Intelligence Command (Intelligence Command) has been confirmed to have entrusted major missions such as overseas and North Korea-related covert operations to civilian organizations. These civilian organizations consist of retired military personnel, and there are suspicions that they used military facilities and even received funding while handling key missions of the Intelligence Command.

According to compiled documents including the complaint, Colonel A, a brigade commander of the Intelligence Command, filed a complaint last month with the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters accusing Major General B, the Intelligence Command commander, of assault. Although Colonel A holds a lower rank than Major General B, he is three officer classes senior in terms of commissioning. Colonel A claims that a civilian organization (Military Intelligence Development Institute) led by a retired Major General who formerly served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency can use the Intelligence Command’s off-base secret office in Chungjeongno, Seoul?known as the An-ga (安家)?without the commander’s approval. The conflict began when Major General B did not approve this. During the reporting process, Colonel A reportedly said, “The operation cannot proceed because the non-expert commander is interfering,” to which Major General B responded by throwing down the approval document and saying, “I will not accept the report, leave.”

The problem is that during this process, the location and nature of the covert operations support office, as well as the name of the planned operation, were extensively exposed. In particular, it was revealed that the civilian organization plays a key role in the Intelligence Command-level planned operation called the ‘Gwanggaeto Project.’ The name of the retired Major General who is the chairman of the civilian organization was also mentioned, implying that the covert operations are being led by a civilian who formerly served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Colonel A is known to argue that the off-base office is for supporting covert operations and that the civilian organization should play a central role in the planned operation ‘Gwanggaeto Project.’ Some quarters find it incomprehensible that a civilian organization is leading covert operations. There are also concerns that if necessary funds were provided to the civilian organization, it could pose a problem.

Even senior military officers are unaware of the key missions, as the Intelligence Command is a unit shrouded in secrecy. However, with this complaint battle, the existence of the brigade’s covert operations team, the operation’s name, and timing?all of which should have been handled with utmost secrecy?have been revealed, raising serious concerns.

A government official said, “It is incomprehensible that major missions of an intelligence agency that should be shrouded in secrecy were entrusted to a civilian organization,” adding, “It seems that all information was exposed due to conflicts within the command.”