Japan to launch prime minister-led National Intelligence Bureau
· UPIMay 7 (Asia Today) -- Japan plans to launch a new National Intelligence Bureau as early as July to centralize intelligence gathering and analysis under the prime minister's office, a move expected to affect trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.
The new organization will upgrade the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office into a roughly 700-member agency, with plans to gradually expand staffing by recruiting specialized intelligence personnel and private-sector experts.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese government has finalized plans to establish the National Intelligence Bureau this summer with an initial workforce similar in size to the current intelligence office.
Legislation creating the National Intelligence Council, which will serve as the legal basis for the new bureau, was submitted to parliament on March 13 and passed the lower house in April. Deliberations in the upper house are scheduled to begin Thursday.
The new bureau will operate under the prime minister's office and support the National Intelligence Council, chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The restructuring marks a major shift from the current system, in which the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office is largely staffed by officials dispatched from agencies such as the National Police Agency and the Foreign Ministry.
Beginning next year, Japan plans to recruit its own career-track intelligence officers through the national civil service examination system.
The government also intends to expand midcareer hiring from the private sector to secure experts with foreign language skills, cybersecurity expertise and advanced internet technologies.
Officials are additionally considering hiring engineers capable of using artificial intelligence to process large volumes of intelligence data more efficiently.
The new agency is expected to oversee intelligence exchanges with foreign services, analysis of overseas developments and responses to disinformation and misinformation on social media platforms.
Japan's opposition parties have raised concerns about the expansion of surveillance powers and the political neutrality of the organization.
Critics argue the legislation does not clearly define the operational scope of intelligence activities and could lead to infringements on privacy rights and freedom of thought.
Some lawmakers have also warned the new system could pave the way for future legislation on anti-spying measures or the establishment of a full-fledged foreign intelligence service.
For South Korea, the reorganization means Japan's intelligence-sharing channel within trilateral security cooperation with Washington could become more centralized and influential.
Key security issues already shared among the three countries include North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, Chinese military activities in the East and South China seas, Russian military movements in the Far East, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Analysts said Japan's strengthened intelligence structure could accelerate the speed of Japanese threat assessments and crisis responses during regional emergencies.
At the same time, South Korea is expected to closely monitor how Japan integrates the new agency into trilateral intelligence-sharing frameworks and whether the reform strengthens Japan's independent security decision-making role.
The launch of the National Intelligence Bureau could improve coordination on North Korean missile threats while also marking a broader expansion of Japan's security and intelligence capabilities.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260507010001415