Cabinet approves decrees to reform military counterintelligence unit

The Cabinet approved five presidential decrees Tuesday to reform the military counterintelligence unit, following the announcement to dismantle the command amid criticism over its undue political influence.

The move follows plans to dismantle the Defense Counterintelligence Command and disperse its core functions to new and existing bodies under the defense ministry, marking the unit's dissolution 49 years after its establishment.

The decrees will be promulgated next Tuesday, and the ministry plans to officially launch two new bodies under its wing July 31 under the restructuring measures, the ministry said in a release.

The ministry said the reform represents a step toward turning the military intelligence into a "democratic organization trusted by the public."

Under the decrees, a new body under the ministry will be created to handle counterintelligence, defense industry intelligence and cybersecurity operations.

A separate agency will be established to handle internal security inspections and investigations into security breaches at corps-level or larger units.

The decrees will strip the military of its authority to conduct surveillance and gather personnel intelligence, including background checks on individuals of interest. These covert operations were widely seen as giving the unit undue political influence.

The authority to conduct national security-related investigations will be transferred to the ministry's existing investigation agency.

Since its establishment in 1977, the DCC has often been criticized for wielding excessive powers through its unique roles and undergone a series of reform efforts under previous administrations.

The command's involvement in Yoon's failed martial law imposition on Dec. 3, 2024, has reignited calls for reform.

Its former commander is standing trial for allegedly deploying troops to the National Assembly on the night of the martial law to arrest opposition lawmakers.

It has also been suspected of sending drones across the border into North Korea two months before the martial law bid, allegedly to provide a pretext for the emergency measure.