The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has strengthened its cooperation with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). This follows the INR’s regular strategic dialogue with the Korea National Diplomatic Academy last year and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Intelligence Planning Bureau.
On June 24 in Washington D.C., Park Jang Ho, Director General for Diplomatic Intelligence at South Korea’s foreign ministry, and Brett Holmgren, Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, signed the Korea-U.S. Foreign Intelligence Cooperation MOU.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korean and U.S. diplomatic authorities have been conducting practical discussions to formalize the exchange and cooperation of diplomatic information to strengthen the intelligence alliance since the beginning of this year. This is following the institutionalization of bilateral intelligence cooperation between the two countries agreed upon by President Yoon Suk Yeol during his state visit to the U.S. last year.
With the signing of this MOU, the Foreign Intelligence Planning Bureau and the INR will exchange and collaborate on diplomatic information analysis and technology related to regional and international situations and will work towards capacity-building cooperation. They have also agreed to prepare a joint situation analysis report. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that such a Korea-U.S. diplomatic intelligence exchange would serve as the operational foundation for the newly established Diplomatic Strategic and Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month.
Previously, in December of last year, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy signed a Terms of Reference (TOR) to regularize strategic dialogue with the INR about twice a year. At that time, Korea National Diplomatic Academy Director Park Cheol Hee visited Washington D.C. to meet Holmgren and sign the TOR.
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