Human Intelligence Unit

[Anchor Lead]

As North Korea continues to upgrade its nuclear and missile capacity, U.S. forces in Korea plan to establish a new unit specializing in human intelligence by October. It’s called the "humint" unit, and it is being touted as way to strengthen intelligence gathering on North Korea.

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] N. Korea's Korean Central TV(Jan. 6, 2016) : "This is a DPRK government statement. The DPRK's first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully completed!"

When North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January 2016, South Korean and American intelligence authorities, despite their vast reconnaissance assets, failed to detect in advance North Korea's nuclear test preparations in underground tunnels. In order to make up for the limitations in its surveillance assets, U.S. forces in Korea announced plans for the establishment of a unit that utilizes human resources to gather intelligence. The so-called "humint" unit is expected to collect and analyze intelligence on North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities as well as the possibility of sudden changes in North Korea.

[Soundbite] Moon Seong-mook(Korea Research Institute for National Strategy) : "Information is more complete when human intelligence and technical intelligence are combined. So the unit aims to compensate for America's weaknesses and gather more complete intelligence."

High-ranking North Korean defectors and foreign personnel in frequent contact with North Korea are expected to be recruited for intelligence gathering.