Actor Hyun Bin has been appointed as an “honorary counterintelligence agent,” the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Tuesday.

Hyun Bin will work with the agency to raise awareness about the concept and importance of counterintelligence and participate in promotional activities related to counterintelligence policy, according to NIS.


Counterintelligence refers to a broad range of activities aimed at responding to foreign intelligence operations that threaten national security and interests.

The Criminal Act was revised in February to expand the scope of espionage charges from an “enemy state” to “foreign countries.” Following the revision, a legal foundation to protect national interests not only from North Korea but also from espionage activities by other countries.

“Recently, cases threatening national survival, such as the leak of advanced technology and defense industry secrets by foreign entities, have been occurring frequently,” an NIS official said. “We will actively meet public expectations through thorough counterintelligence activities.”

Debuting in 2003, Hyun Bin has been active across both film and series. He is well known for his roles in dramas “My Lovely Sam-soon” (2005), “Secret Garden” (2010-11) and “Crash Landing on You” (2019-20). He also previously portrayed a NIS agent in 2023 in film “The Point Men.”

He recently appeared in Disney+’s original series “Made in Korea” (2025), which is set to release its second season this year.



This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]