President Park Geun-hye on Friday named three deputy chiefs for the National Intelligence Service as the spy agency recalibrated its role in dealing with North Korea and security threats amid heightened tension on the peninsula.

Han Ki-beom, a visiting professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, was appointed first deputy chief responsible for all affairs related to North Korea and overseas.

Suh Cheon-ho, a former president of the Korean National Police University, was named second deputy chief, to take charge of domestic affairs including fighting communism, terrorism and espionage.

Former military officer Kim Kyu-seok was tapped as third deputy chief in charge of cyber, communications and science information,

Their roles have been rearranged from the previous format, where the first deputy chief was in charge of overseas intelligence, the second was in charge of domestic matters and the third in charge of North Korean issues.

With the second and third deputy chiefs now respectively responsible for anti-communist and cyber operations along with the North Korean expert as the first deputy, all three are to face tighter responsibility in dealing with the North, observers said.

Cheong Wa Dae also announced Lee Heon-su, a former NIS official, will be heading the agency’s office of planning and coordination, while Lee Eun-cheol, a professor emeritus of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University, will lead the state Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)