On the 7th, the NIS announced Hyun Bin’s honorary appointment. The move aims to better inform the public about the precise meaning and importance of counterintelligence―beyond the narrow idea of simply hunting North Korean spies―following a recent revision of the espionage law.
On February 26, the National Assembly amended Article 98 of the Criminal Act, expanding the scope of espionage from “an enemy country” to “a foreign country.” The change creates a legal foundation to protect South Korea not only from North Korea but also from increasingly sophisticated foreign espionage. Counterintelligence refers to all actions that detect, deter, and block foreign intelligence activities that threaten national security and the national interest―far more than just catching spies.
An NIS official said, “Incidents that threaten national survival, such as leaks of advanced technology and defense industry secrets by foreign actors, are occurring more frequently, which makes counterintelligence more critical than ever. Going forward, together with ‘Honorary Counterintelligence Agent’ Hyun Bin, the NIS will actively meet public expectations through airtight counterintelligence efforts following the law’s revision.”
Hyun Bin has portrayed agent roles in multiple projects. In the 2023 film "The Point Men," he played an NIS officer who fights to the end to rescue abducted Korean hostages. More recently, he starred as a central intelligence agent in Disney+’s "Made In Korea."
Now stepping beyond the screen as an honorary NIS agent, Hyun Bin plans to join various initiatives that raise public awareness about the importance of counterintelligence.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)