A Study on the Establishment Approaches for a National Intelligence Community

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present policy measures for establishing a “future-oriented national in-telligence community” that can effectively respond to rapidly evolving new security threats by overcoming the limitations of the current NIS-centered intelligence system. To this end, the study analyzes cases of intelligence reform in major advanced nations and critically examines the deep-seated bureaucratic rivalries and factors hin-dering intelligence sharing among South Korean intelligence agencies. Moving beyond political logic, this re-search focuses on the core value of national security to derive fundamental institutional reform plans, including the evolutionary restructuring of the NIS. Ultimately, it seeks to propose a mid-to-long-term development model for a Korean-style intelligence community that can safeguard national interests and public safety through a sys-tematic mechanism for organic cooperation. Method: Due to the inherent secrecy and closed nature of intelligence agencies, which limit empirical surveys, this study employs a “reflexive literature review” focusing on previous research and policy documents. Leveraging the researcher’s 30 years of practitioner experience, the study uses the gap between field reality and theory as an analytical starting point, cross-validating these insights with literature and normative standards. Methodological-ly, rather than analyzing correlations between variables, it adopts a normative approach combined with case studies to diagnose the limitations of the current system. By conducting a comparative analysis of intelligence community models in major advanced nations—such as the U.S., the U.K., and Japan—this research derives impli-cations tailored to the South Korean context. Ultimately, these multifaceted analyses are synthesized to propose practical and strategic policy measures for establishing a future-oriented Korean intelligence community. Results: This research argues that the establishment of a “National Intelligence Office” (tentative name) by separating the NIS’s planning and coordination functions, alongside the creation of a highly capable, advanced intelligence community is critical to overcome South Korea’s structural intelligence limitations. To achieve this, a phased roadmap was established; Phase 1 involves a “Preparatory Task Force” led by the NIS to lay the legal and technical foundations, while Phase 2 features a “Promotion Task Force” led by the National Security Office to fi-nalize government-wide integrated governance. Conclusion: This study concludes that Establishing a future-oriented Korean intelligence community requires a long-term roadmap and unified leadership from the legislative and executive branches to ensure consistent re-form regardless of government changes. A national commission should be formed for a rigorous diagnosis, focus-ing on strengthening the National Security Office’s coordination and fostering a trust-based community culture. To secure democratic legitimacy, a multifaceted oversight system and strategic public communication must be established. Lastly, improving the declassification system and fostering academia-practitioner collaboration are essential to create a research ecosystem that ensures the continuous evolution of national intelligence capabilities.