국가정보원 | |
NIS logo
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Agency overview | |
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Formed | June 13th, 1961 |
Preceding agencies |
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Jurisdiction | Government of South Korea |
Headquarters | Naegok-dong, Seoul |
Motto | Anonymous dedication to freedom and truth |
Employees | Classified |
Annual budget | Classified |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | President of South Korea |
Website |
www.nis.go.kr (Korean) eng.nis.go.kr |
National Intelligence Service | |
Hangul | 국가정보원 |
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Hanja | 國家情報院 |
Revised Romanization | Gukga Jeongbowon |
McCune–Reischauer | Kukka Chŏngbowŏn |
Coordinates: 37°28′01″N 127°04′30″E / 37.467041°N 127.075068°E
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) (대한민국국가정보원, 국정원) is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) (중앙정보부), during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the Second Republic of South Korea. The original duties of the KCIA were to supervise and coordinate both international and domestic intelligence activities and criminal investigation by all government intelligence agencies, including that of the military. The agency's broad powers allowed it to actively intervene in politics.
The agency took on the name Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) (국가안전기획부) in 1981, as part of a series of reforms instituted by the Fifth Republic of South Korea under President Chun Doo-hwan. The ANSP is colloquially known as 안기부 "Angibu" in South Korea. Besides trying to acquire intelligence on North Korea and suppress South Korean activists, the ANSP, like its predecessor, was heavily involved in activities outside of its sphere, including domestic politics and even promoting the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.