• Korean Security Journal
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• no.22
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• pp.113-144
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• 2010

Bioterrorism is becoming more attractive to terrorist groups owing to the dramatic increase in the utility and lethality of biological weapons in line with today's cutting-edge biological science and technology. The Republic of Korea is facing both internal and external terrorist threats, as well as the possible biological warfare by North Korea. Therefore, it is essential to establish an effective bioterrorism response system in the ROK. In order to come up with the adequate response system for the ROK, an in-depth study has been conducted on the current bioterrorism response system of the U.S. whose preparedness is considered relatively adamant. As a result, the following facts have been found: (1)the legislation with regard to bioterrorism has been established or amended according to the current situation in the U.S., (2)the counter terrorism activities have been integrated with the Department of the Homeland Security as the central agency in order to maximize the national CT capacity, (3)Specific procedures and instructions to cope with bioterrorism have been made into manuals so as to enhance the working-level response capabilities. Next, the analysis on the ROK's bioterrorism response system has been performed in various categories, including the legislation system, task role distribution, cooperative relations, and resource application. It turned out that the ROK's legislation basis is relatively weak and it lacks the apparatus to integrate the bioterrorism response activities on the national level. The shortage of the adequate response facilities and resources, as well as the poor management of manpower have also emerged as problems that hinder the effective CT implementations. Through an analytical and comparative study of the U.S. and the ROK systems, this paper presents several ways to ameliorate improve the current system in the ROK as follows: (1)establish the anti-terrorism law, which would be the basic legal basis for the bioterrorism-related matters; and make revisions to the disaster-related legislation, relevant to bioterrorism response activities, (2)establish an integrated body that has a powerful authority to coordinate the relevant CT agencies; and converge the decentralized functions to maximize the overall response capacity, (3)install the laboratories with a high biosafety level and secure enough of the strategic medical stock-pile, (4)enhance the ability of the inexperienced response personnel by providing with a manual that has detailed instructions.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.41
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• pp.153-183
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• 2014

Nowadays, proactive intelligence activities are required because of enhanced nation wide threats of terrorism and complexity of multidimensional factors of national security. South Korea not only need to draw up plans of information sharing among agencies for more effective national intelligence activities, but also have to evaluate the structure of Domestic Intelligence Agency and its right direction of activities. In this vein, this paper conducts comparative studies of structures and range of activities of intelligence Agencies by reviewing U.K, U.S.A, and France cases and suggests a potential model of 'domestic information specified agency' that we can adopt and methods to share information among agencies. The focus of this paper is on the reviewing of necessity of establishing new 'domestic information specified agency' which will mainly conduct anti-terrorism and counterintelligence activities, and its appropriate form. After reviewing the cases of U.K, U.S.A. and France, we conclude that overcoming the people's distrust about an invasion of freedom and rights caused by centralized and integrated independent intelligence agency is a prerequisite. Disputable issues of FBI, DHS, and South Korea's intelligence agency cases suggest that plans for restoring trust have to be considered if a new 'domestic information specified agency' is established in NIS. If it is established under government ministries such as MSPA focusing on implementing anti-terrorism and counterintelligence activities, organizations such as NCTC, NIC, that can carry out information sharing and cooperating with agencies concerned have to be established. Additionally, measures to solve structural problems caused by carrying out law enforcement functions by domestic information specified agency should be considered.