The

Republic of Korea Armed Forces The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength of ...

's Defense Security Command (DSC) was founded as the ''Army Counter Intelligence Corps'' (commonly known as CIC or KACIC; meaning: Special Operation Forces) on October 21, 1950, and it functioned as the primary organization within the military charged with internal security, preservation of loyalty to the regime, and deterrence and investigation of

subversion Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to transform the established social order and its structures of power, authority, hierarchy, and social norms. Sub ...

. The DSC is often known by its short name ''Boansa'' (Boan Saryeongbu) until January 1, 1991, and ''Gimusa'' (Gimu Saryeongbu) since January 1, 1991. In September 2018, it was reorganized as Defense Security Support Command.

History

The Defense Security Command was formally activated in October 1977.http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-12388.htm This merger of the Army Security Command, the Navy Security Unit, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations produced a single, integrated unit under the direct command and operational control of the minister of national defense.

Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan (; or ; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean Republic of Korea Army, army general and military dictator who ruled as an unelected Political strongman, strongman from 1979 to 1980 before replacing Choi Kyu-hah ...

became chief of the Defense Security Command in February 1979, eight months before

Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...

was assassinated on October 26, 1979. From his position as commander of the DSC, Chun effectively became chief investigator of the assassination, said Don Oberdorfer in his book ''The Two Koreas''. On December 12, 1979, a group of generals led by Chun arrested martial law commander General

Jeong Seung-hwa Jeong Seung-hwa (정승화, 鄭昇和; 27 February 1929 – 12 June 2002) was a South Korean general officer, and the 22nd Republic of Korea Army Chief of Staff. He was present at the Blue House presidential compound, site of the assassinatio ...

, the army chief of staff, and seized key sites in the capital. also, Chun mobilize the DSC 505th Defense Security Unit() in

Gwangju Uprising The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (M ...

in May 1980. during the Uprising, Plainclothed DSC 505th DSU operatives disguised themselves as protesters(lately became militia) to Covert operations such as gathering intelligence, arresting top-level members for ruin the protester(militia)'s reputation by make it look like North Korean opeatives involved in the Uprising. Chun eventually became

President of South Korea The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...

. In August 2018, it was dismantled due to its relation with former South Korean president

Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye (; ; often in English ; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017, until she was impeached and convicted on related corruption charges. Park was the fi ...

. The martial law events were reviewed in case President Park's impeachment would be dismissed. The DSC's involvement in 1979 was considered and defined as attempt of a coup by state council.

Successor

In September 2018, it was reorganized as Defense Security Support Command.

Criticism

On November 11, 2011, the

Seoul National Labor Relations Commission Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

exposed a Defense Security Command member who had been illegally collecting the information of civilians registered in the

National Health Insurance Corporation National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

for three and a half years.

References

External links

Official website(Korean)Official website(English)
*Globalsecurity.org

accessed October 2009 {{Authority control South Korean military intelligence agencies Military units and formations established in 1977 Military units and formations disestablished in 2018 Ministry of National Defense (South Korea) Counterintelligence agencies