Three top NIS officials resign

From left to right, National Intelligence Service’s First Deputy Director Kwon Chun-taek, Director Kim Kyou-hyun and Second Deputy Director Kim Soo-youn at the National Assembly on Nov. 1. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted the resignation of Kim Kyou-hyun, former director of the Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), on Sunday.

Kwon Chun-taek, the agency's first deputy director, and Kim Soo-youn, its second deputy director, also resigned.

Director Kim and Kwon were appointed to head the spy agency when the Yoon administration too office last May. The second deputy director was appointed in June of 2022.

Newly appointed First Director Hong Jang-won will temporarily head the agency.

Hong, a graduate of the Korean Military Academy, was formerly a special assistant to Director Kim and a minister at the Korean Embassy in Britain.

Hwang Won-jin, who formerly headed intelligence efforts against North Korea, has been named the second deputy director.

The president’s office stressed that both newly appointed deputy directors are specialists in international and North Korean intelligence.

Although the reason behind the NIS chief’s resignation has not yet been disclosed, rumors of an ongoing power struggle within the agency have been swirling since June.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]