Actor Hyun Bin has been appointed an "honorary counterintelligence officer" at the National Intelligence Service.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said on the 7th that it "has appointed Hyun Bin as an 'honorary counterintelligence officer' and will work together on activities to raise awareness of the concept and importance of counterintelligence."
Counterintelligence refers to the overall activities that respond to foreign intelligence operations that run counter to national security and the national interest. On Feb. 2, with the amendment to the Criminal Act, the scope of the espionage charge was expanded from "enemy state" to "foreign country." This has established an institutional foundation to protect the national interest from espionage activities by foreign countries, not just North Korea.
In the 2023 film "The Point Men," Hyun Bin played a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent who struggles to rescue South Korean hostages taken captive. He is set to continue promotional activities related to NIS counterintelligence policy.
An official at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said, "Recently, incidents that threaten national survival, such as leaks of advanced technology and defense industry secrets by foreign countries, have been occurring frequently, and the importance of counterintelligence is growing," adding, "We will actively meet public expectations through airtight counterintelligence activities."