NIS wraps up leadership reshuffle without a massive overhaul? A message from Professor Son Ho-cheol

One of the hottest topics in South Korean political circles right now is undoubtedly the actions of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). There's intense interest in how the agency has been reorganising itself internally following the December 3 emergency martial law declaration last year, and what has become of numerous NIS leadership figures. With leadership reshuffles for officials from Level 1 down to Level 4 having been quietly concluded last August and November, various interpretations are emerging about the nature of these appointments.

Breaking the vicious cycle of 'purges'? The first real test for Lee Jong-suk's pragmatism

During past government transitions, the NIS was often a place swept by fierce, 'bloody purge'-like changes. It became customary for the entire senior leadership to be placed on standby and replaced by new appointees whenever a new administration took over. However, the first NIS reshuffle under the current Lee Jae-myung government was different. In last August's reshuffle involving around 20 Level 1 officials, a significant number of appointees from the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration were retained.

The general consensus is that this reflects the commitment NIS Director Lee Jong-suk made during his confirmation hearing to 'no political retaliation' and a focus on 'expertise'. In the past, accumulated know-how at the NIS was frequently lost as the agency tried to read the political winds of the new administration. This time, however, the emphasis seems to be on valuing operational continuity and stabilising the organisation under a framework of 'pragmatism'. Indeed, it was an open secret within the NIS that "if you have the capability, you won't be pushed out just because you served under the previous government."

So, how was the December 3 martial law situation handled?

Of course, this hasn't completely cleared up all the questions. The biggest one concerns the NIS's internal investigation into the emergency martial law incident. According to inside sources, the NIS has been investigating the involvement of its employees in the martial law declaration since shortly after Director Lee took office, and the results were factored into this reshuffle. The explanation is that this investigation was part of the routine audit process that typically follows the appointment of a new director.

In other words, the two rounds of personnel changes last August and November weren't just simple reassignments; they also served as a way to clear out the political risk associated with 'martial law involvement'. According to a high-ranking political source, there were extensive internal discussions within the intelligence community regarding this reshuffle, and it's understood that the agency has outlined its position to revamp its intelligence-gathering systems for potential future contingencies.

NIS today, through the eyes of Professor Son Ho-cheol

The figure to watch here is Professor Son Ho-cheol, an emeritus professor at Sogang University. A well-known progressive political scientist, he actually has a fairly deep connection with the NIS. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, when the NIS launched a truth commission on past affairs (the so-called 'Past History Committee'), he participated directly as a representative from academia. Notably, the investigation he was involved in was the crucial task of uncovering the truth behind the rigged 'People's Revolutionary Party Incident' from the Park Chung-hee era. At the time, he called the incident "the most disgraceful event in our nation's judicial history" and contributed his efforts to uncovering the truth.

Furthermore, in the early 2000s, he offered a sharp analysis of the so-called 'leftist controversy' surrounding the election of many former student activists to the National Assembly. Back then, Professor Son clearly stated his conviction: "The entry of former activists into the National Assembly is not a new phenomenon, and not all of them are leftists. If they form a reformist bloc and adhere to principles, there's no cause for concern." This background demonstrates that he is not merely a theorist but a scholar deeply connected to the ground realities and history, a 'living witness' of sorts.

If he were to look at the current NIS, what might he say? Perhaps something like this.

• First, the most important thing is to avoid repeating past misuses of state power, like the 'People's Revolutionary Party' case. He knows better than anyone that political neutrality is the lifeblood of the organisation.
• Second, he would advise that the 'pragmatism' shown in the personnel decisions must go beyond just resolving staffing backlogs and truly blossom on a foundation of 'expertise'. This implies that the 'principles and integrity' he advocated over two decades ago should become core values in running the NIS.
• Third, he would likely emphasise 'principled engagement' when it comes to North Korea policy. After all, he has consistently supported the Sunshine Policy in the past while maintaining the stance that North Korea's wrongdoing must be firmly addressed.

Where should the NIS head from here?

In summary, the NIS now seems to have shed the old habit of 'blanket dismissal reshuffles' and set sail on a new course called pragmatism. Director Lee Jong-suk's choice to prioritise organisational stability even amidst the worst-case scenario of the martial law declaration appears to be earning him considerable trust, at least internally within the NIS.

Of course, many hurdles remain. Key points to watch going forward are whether this same approach will continue with the pending reshuffles for Level 2 and 3 officials, whether North Korea intelligence-gathering capabilities can be restored to their former strength, and most importantly, whether the agency can uphold the crucial value of 'political neutrality'. This is precisely why we need to pay attention to the sharp questions posed by senior scholars like Professor Son Ho-cheol, as we watch to see if the National Intelligence Service of South Korea can truly reinvent itself as a community of genuine security experts.