A week before the dissolution of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, unit members belonging to the command were reassigned to new units.
The military authorities carried out personnel appointments for members under the Defense Counterintelligence Command ahead of its dissolution.
The Ministry of National Defense said on the 24th that it notified service members and civilian employees under the command of the results of their unit classification assessments.
After the unit is dissolved, Defense Counterintelligence Command personnel were reclassified to the newly established Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters and Defense Security Support Group, as well as the existing Criminal Investigation Command, in line with the organizational overhaul. About 460 commissioned and noncommissioned officers will return to their respective services.
A Ministry of National Defense official said, "We offered four options, including the three revamped intelligence organizations and returning to each service, and took applications for preferences from unit members," and added, "We adjusted unit classifications by comprehensively considering individual preferences, experience, service records and future utility."
Inside and outside the military, concerns are being raised that for Defense Counterintelligence Command personnel returning to their services, changes in specialties will make it effectively difficult to adapt to new units, leading to personnel disadvantages such as in promotions.
A Ministry of National Defense official said, "To help adapt to the new environment, we will conduct job and transfer training under the control of each service and provide tailored personnel support for individuals," adding, "We will closely track and manage those who returned to ensure that no disadvantages occur in personnel management."
The Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters will carry out information activities related to counterintelligence and defense industry, and handle tasks such as defense industry and cybersecurity, while the Defense Security Support Group will be responsible for internal military security tasks, including central security audits at corps level and above and investigations of security incidents.
The Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters and the Defense Security Support Group will be launched on the 31st. The command will be officially dissolved the same day.