The
National Intelligence Service (
NIS) (대한민국국가정보원, 국정원) is the chief
intelligence agency of
South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the
Korean Central Intelligence Agency (
KCIA) , during the rule of President
Park Chung-hee's military
Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the
Second Republic of South Korea. The original duties of the KCIA were to supervise and coordinate both international and domestic intelligence activities and criminal investigation by all government intelligence agencies, including that of the military. The agency's broad powers allowed it to actively intervene in
politics.