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Spymaster | South Korea
Lee Jong-seok, the academic driving South Korea's new security shift

The director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, Lee Jong-seok. © Yonhap News Agency/MaxPPP

The new spy chief's appointment signals more than a mere change of leadership. The former unification minister is the embodiment of President Lee Jae-myung's new foreign policy goals to keep channels open with China and North Korea while maintaining a balance with the United States. [...]

Published on 10/10/2025 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 3 minutes

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France, South Korea
Nuclear submarines: influential Sejong Institute's VP lays out strategic plan for French-Korean partnership

Ahead of the French president's visit to Seoul, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute think tank close to the South Korean presidency has published an article advocating for a strategic partnership with Paris covering the entire nuclear supply chain.

Subscribers only Defence 02.04.2026

The vice-president of South Korean think-tank, the Sejong Institute, Cheong Seong-chang in Seoul, South Korea, on 13 April 2018.

France, North Korea, South Korea
Chemical weapons threat from Pyongyang spurs Paris-Seoul cooperation

Intelligence Online has learnt that a highly confidential exercise was conducted in early March in South Korea, under US leadership, in which a delegation from the French Armed Forces’ Joint CBRN Defence Centre took part.

Subscribers only Operations, Defence 30.03.2026

South Korea, United States
South Korean defence mission airs its dirty laundry in Washington courts

A former employee of the South Korean embassy in Washington is accused of fraudulently obtaining her housing allowance. By taking legal action in this case Seoul wants to make clear that it is addressing its vulnerabilities.

Subscribers only Defence 06.02.2026

The South Korean embassy in Washington, DC.

China, South Korea
Behind the scenes of secret Seoul-Beijing talks

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's recent visit to China, notable for his talks with Xi Jinping, went beyond protocol to become a key part of geopolitical manoeuvring in the region. Their meeting revealed the two countries' complex web of interests.

Subscribers only Back-door diplomacy 12.01.2026

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (left) takes a selfie with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, 5 January 2026.

South Korea
Geospatial intelligence: Seoul surges while Pyongyang stalls

Having emerged from a difficult period, South Korea has seen a successful year in geospatial intelligence. In contrast, North Korea's space programme has stagnated, despite enjoying backing from Russia.

Subscribers only Space 22.12.2025

Launch of the South Korean satellite Kompsat-7 by a Vega-C rocket in Kourou, French Guiana, on 1 December 2025.

Germany, South Korea
Berlin's intelligence alliance with Seoul in the balance

Still reeling from Seoul's missteps, Germany's BND is closely monitoring the major shake-up underway within South Korea's National Intelligence Service and its new approach in the face of Pyongyang.

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The headquarters of the Federal Intelligence Service BND, in Berlin, Germany.

France, South Korea
South Korean defence industry seeking allies in France

On the heels of the major South Korean defence trade fair ADEX held in Seoul from 20 to 24 October, sources from the local defence industry told Intelligence Online how disappointed they were at Paris's lack of interest in developing defence ties with Seoul.

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The Agencies' Gazette
Corsica and counterterrorism, Lavrov interview funds, no job at the DGSE, South Korean subs

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The Agencies' Gazette
More funds for French disinformation fight, US counterterrorism appointment, a ex-DGSE spy at Paris police HQ

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Spotlight | South Korea
Seoul at epicentre of Washington, Beijing and Pyongyang dealings

With Donald Trump set to return to the Asian stage and Kim Jong-un not averse to new talks, South Korea is at the centre of a three-way diplomatic game. Between Chinese ambitions, US caution and North Korean calculations, President Lee Jae-myung is trying to maintain strategic equidistance.

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Spymaster | Philippines
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North Korea, South Korea
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Saudi Arabia
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A Patriot missile battery at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia on 20 February 2020.

Spymaster | South Korea
Cho Tae-yong, Seoul's last chance to pull the National Intelligence Service out of crisis

With threats from North Korea and China increasingly weighing on Seoul, the National Intelligence Service is seeking to counter its regional rivals and regain lost credibility under its new chief, Cho Tae-yong, a diplomat who is well liked by conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol.

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Cho Tae-yong, director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Spymaster | South Korea
Career diplomat Kim Kyou-hyun sets about reforming South Korea's top intelligence service

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South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl (left) and National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Kim Kyou-hyun.

Japan, United States
Washington makes promises to Asian allies

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