The understaffed police force and their seemingly limited experience in counterespionage investigations are becoming potential issues, as the police have assumed investigative authority for potential violations of the National Security Law from the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The transfer of jurisdiction took effect on Jan. 1, prompting concerns about whether the police are adequately prepared to effectively trace and apprehend espionage suspects, particularly in addressing security threats leading up to the April 10 elections.
According to the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper, the number of individuals suspected of involvement in the spy ring case widely known as “Jatong” exceeds 70. However, the total number of police investigators assigned to the case is only 20. “Jatong” is an abbreviation of the Korean name of the Self-Reliant People’s Liberation Front, an underground group started in 2016 in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.
Prosecutors indicted four South Koreans in March last year on charges of fo
unding the underground group, which was accused of taking directives from and working for North Korea.
The four individuals are accused of recruiting over 70 South Koreans to work for the pro-North group under the guise of a grassroots fundraising organization. They were apprehended by NIS agents while in the process of establishing similar pro-North groups in 68 locations across the nation.
The espionage case was transferred to the police this year as the revised National Intelligence Service Law came into effect in January, more than three years after it was approved by the National Assembly.
The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which was the ruling party at the time, advocated a revision bill aimed at removing the intelligence agency’s authority to investigate counterespionage cases. The DPK argued that rewriting the law was necessary to prevent alleged abuse of power by the NIS, including intervention in domestic politics and human rights violations.
The police increased the number of staff responsibl
e for handling espionage cases by 75 percent from the previous level. Despite this effort, there are allegations that the police force remains understaffed for the task at hand.
The personnel shortage is not surprising. Counterespionage investigations are known to be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Historically, it’s been reported that over 20 NIS agents were assigned to investigate a single spy suspect, which took several years of surveillance each time.
The police’s lack of experience in conducting spy investigations poses an additional barrier, making the jurisdiction transfer an uphill battle. Historically, the police played a limited role in espionage investigations, with the NIS taking the lead in such cases. The role of police officers had been predominantly supportive in nature.
The transfer of jurisdiction was implemented with less than four months remaining before the April 10 general elections, in which 300 National Assembly seats are at stake.
The timing of the jurisdiction transfer is sen
sitive, and there is increasing skepticism about whether the ill-prepared police can conduct espionage investigations effectively amid North Korea’s escalating efforts to influence and interfere in the upcoming elections. Cyberattacks and social media campaigns, commonly employed tactics by North Korea, pose significant challenges and are likely to be used to influence election results in its favor.
In a report released on Jan. 12, Ko Jae-hong, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, said North Korea has good reason to attempt to intervene in South Korea’s elections. “The DPK’s winning of 180 parliamentary seats in the 2020 elections and what happened afterwards show why the North will want to go for it,” he said in the report. “After the election, the National Assembly approved the bill calling for a ban on sending anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets to the North (thanks to the DPK members’ overwhelming support for the bill).”
The leaflets, launched by North Korean defecto
rs, irked the isolated state’s leader Kim Jong-un, who reportedly feared the possible effect the propaganda materials could have in inciting the public to stand up to him.
Cho Tae-yong, the new NIS director, said a security vacuum would be inevitable.
“North Korea no longer sends spies to the South,” he said during a National Assembly confirmation hearing held on Jan. 11. “Most espionage activities are now initiated domestically, with North Korean agents recruiting South Korean nationals to work for the North,” he noted, claiming the NIS is better prepared than police to curb security threats under the changing environment.
The seemingly inappropriate jurisdiction transfer appears to be causing more harm than good. As Cho noted, it is likely to fuel increasing anxiety over the potential security vacuum, particularly in the lead-up to the crucial general elections.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be tempted to intervene further in domestic politics by taking advantage of the perceived inexperience of t
he investigators. Lawmakers, particularly members of the DPK, should have given more thought to who would benefit most from the bill before passing it. Now, there is a need to take proper measures to prevent potential fallout from the new bill and seriously reconsider the decision if possible.
Source: Yonhap News Agency