Amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean Defense Intelligence Command, crucial in gathering intelligence on North Korea, is now mired in a series of unprecedented internal scandals that threaten its operational integrity and credibility.

The South Korean Defense Intelligence Command, positioned at the forefront of gathering intelligence on North Korea, is currently embroiled in a series of shocking incidents.

A civilian employee within the command leaked the identities of covert overseas agents, a blunder that has likely left intelligence agencies worldwide shaking their heads in disbelief.

But that’s not where the issues end. The commanding officer of the Korea Defence Intelligence Command (KDIC) and the brigade commander in charge of the Human Intelligence (HUMINT) unit (a brigadier general) have reportedly clashed over separate matters and have gone as far as to file lawsuits against each other. Such an occurrence is unprecedented in the history of the South Korean military.

The conflict between the commanding officer and the brigade commander is said to revolve around a civilian organization of military veterans using an office outside the base free of charge.

The commanding officer claims insubordination, while the brigade commander alleges he was assaulted and that there was abuse of authority.

The root cause of their dispute seems to be that the commanding officer, a junior from the Korea Military Academy, was promoted ahead of the brigade commander, who is his senior. This kind of emotional conflict over seniority is neglecting their unit’s critical tasks.

Despite the KDIC’s essential role, it failed to detect that a civilian employee was leaking information that could jeopardize the lives of secret agents. It wasn’t until June, when a related intelligence agency notified them, that they hurriedly recalled the agents.

The timing of the exposure of this incident coincides with the clash between the commanding officer and the brigade commander, leading to speculation that someone intentionally leaked the information.

The importance of the KDIC is growing. With North Korea’s Kim Jong-un advancing his nuclear missile capabilities and solidifying his four-generation dynastic rule, the HUMINT capabilities of the command could play a critical role at decisive moments.

It was the KDIC that directly collected soil samples near the nuclear test site during North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006. The command also gathers intelligence from military conflict zones, which is directly linked to South Korea’s national security, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the tensions in the Middle East, and the crisis in the Taiwan Strait. In terms of military intelligence on North Korea, the Defense Intelligence Command is more critical than even the National Intelligence Service.

Yet, the unit is facing a scandal with the leak of agent identities, and its top leaders are embroiled in a legal battle over personal conflicts. This can hardly be considered a functioning military unit anymore. It’s appalling that such absurd events are happening within this unit. One can only wonder if this is an isolated case.