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(S//SI) South Korean SIGINT Agency Turns 50; Major Source of
Collection on NK
FROM:
SUSLAK/NCRKOR (F45)
Run Date: 06/22/2006
(S//SI) South Korea's Defense Security Agency has grown steadily, now operates 22 collection
sites.
(S//SI) On 27 March 2006, members of the NSA/CSS Representative Korea (NCR KOR)/Special
United States Liaison Advisor Korea (SUSLAK), the Defense Security Agency (DSA), the 303rd
Intelligence Squadron, and the 527th Military Intelligence Battalion gathered to celebrate the
50th Anniversary of the DSA. The ceremony began with the brief reading of DSA's history and
individual awards presentation.
(S//SI) The Director of DSA accepts a
plaque commemorating the 50th
Anniversary of DSA from
,
Chief NCR KOR/SUSLAK.
(S//SI) DSA Director presents letters of appreciation
to SSG
SUSLAK North Korean Ground
Forces Analyst and SGT
SUSLAK Site
Engineer.
(S//SI) The DSA bases itself on the ROK-US COMINT Agreement signed on January 10th, 1956,
resulting in its establishment on March 27th of the same year. Concurrent with its organization,
the DSA consolidated all of the intelligence units previously scattered over different parts of the
South Korean Armed Forces into one organization, consequently developing into the only South
Korean Agency performing COMINT-related operations on the Korean Peninsula.
(S//SI) The size of DSA has steadily grown for the last fifty years, from approximately
200 in 1956, to more than 3,100 at the present time , accomplishing tasks in various parts
of the nation. DSA currently operates 22 collection sites during armistice, which includes 12
fixed sites, one airborne site, one shipborne site, and eight mobile collection sites.
(S//SI) The United States SIGINT System and intelligence consumers benefit from all of this
collection as on average DSA passes 77,000 minutes of collection to SUSLAK every day.
As a result of this collection, SUSLAK has been able to produce approximately 50 percent of all
North Korean SIGINT E-gram reporting, and approximately 75 percent of all North Korean
Military SIGINT reporting from May 2004 through February 2006. Also based on this intercept,
SUSLAK was able to issue approximately 36 percent of all North Korean related KLEIGLIGHTS
issued from Korea based US intelligence organizations.
(U//FOUO) At the time of its inception, DSA operated from a temporary station located at
Samcheong-dong, Seoul, until it moved to Itaewon in 1959. After almost two decades, and due
to expansion of DSA and South Korean government's policies to move military units toward
suburban areas, DSA relocated to its current location of Pangyo, South Korea in September
1979, and has been operating from there ever since. Shortly after its inception, DSA was labeled
as the 5796th Unit in 1957 and renamed 10 times during the past fifty years. DSA currently
identifies itself as the 3275th Unit, while employing the "SEC Laboratories" as a public
pseudonym.
(S//SI) DSA has dedicated itself to advancing SIGINT operations in the northern extremities as
well as rear areas since its organization in 1956. As a result, the Agency has been awarded the
Presidential Award twice, once in 1990 and once in 2000. Moreover, DSA has incorporated Aerial
Collection Systems to its arsenal, intensifying itself as the SIGINT unit of choice among Republic
of Korea Armed Forces.
(S//SI) After official ceremonies, celebrations continued with a bar-b-que and joint/combined
sporting events. Combined ROK/US team events included: rugby ball dribbling, soccer,
volleyball, tug-of-war, and a relay race. There were also two friendship matches played between
US and ROK personnel. The first was a softball/teeball game, which SUSLAK won, and the
second a basketball game, which DSA won.
(U//FOUO) Left photo: traditional performers prior to the start of the sports competition. Right
photo:
Deputy Chief SUSLAK Analysis and Production Division (on left) and CW2
, SUSLAK Collection Strategies Team Chief, prepare cheeseburgers, hamburgers,
and Polish sausage for the crowd.
(U//FOUO) This article is reprinted from the Foreign Affairs Digest , May edition.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108