KB News Desk
South Korea’s Army has begun work to overhaul its counterintelligence system to respond to increasingly sophisticated intelligence activities, particularly those involving artificial intelligence, by North Korea and neighboring countries, the military said Thursday.
According to the military, the Army Headquarters recently commissioned a policy study on the future organization and operational concept of its counterintelligence capabilities in light of advances in technology and changes in the security environment.
Counterintelligence refers to activities aimed at detecting and disrupting espionage, infiltration and deception by hostile forces or foreign intelligence agencies, while protecting military personnel, facilities and operational information.
While such efforts traditionally focused on identifying spies and preventing leaks of military secrets, the scope has expanded to include cyberattacks, disinformation, social media manipulation and intelligence collected through drones and electronic warfare systems.
The Army assessed that its current structure suffers from a limited understanding of counterintelligence missions, fragmented organizations and legal restrictions that make it difficult to conduct meaningful peacetime activities or develop related policies.
“Counterintelligence organizations have been partially established at different command levels, but their operational concepts remain unclear, while legal constraints restrict their activities during peacetime,” the Army said.
“Although advances in technology have increased the demand for counterintelligence activities, the systems needed to collect and distribute relevant information have not been sufficiently developed.”
The Army said it particularly needs to develop and field organizations and equipment capable of countering intelligence operations conducted by North Korea and neighboring countries using AI and other advanced technologies.
The study will examine counterintelligence activities observed during the Russia-Ukraine war and the war between the United States and Iran, and seek to establish operational concepts for both wartime and peacetime.
It will also define the missions of units at each command level and assess the appropriate size and structure of counterintelligence organizations.
Other areas of research will include AI-based intelligence collection and analysis equipment, information distribution systems, counterintelligence databases and analytical techniques used by foreign militaries and intelligence agencies.
The Army will also study how information should be shared and responsibilities divided among the National Intelligence Service, police, the Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters and the Korea Defense Intelligence Command.
The ability to use AI to process vast amounts of data has become increasingly important in modern information warfare, allowing militaries to identify suspicious activity and detect the spread of disinformation more quickly than would be possible through human analysis alone.
NATO has said AI tools can be used to monitor, analyze and assess information threats and combine multiple sources of data to develop a broader picture of potential threats.
An Army official said US Army research has also raised the possibility of using AI to integrate intelligence collection, counterintelligence and deception operations, allowing commanders to design operations within a shorter period.
“One possible approach is to use AI to manage both false activities intended to be observed by the enemy and actual operations that must remain concealed until the end,” the official said.
The official added that the initiative is significant because it shows the Army has recognized the limitations of its existing system and begun reviewing its counterintelligence missions, equipment requirements and cooperation with other government and military agencies.
