South Korea is introducing a new “anti-communism unit” that will lead investigations into North Korean espionage, a development that follows controversy over an investigation into several alleged DPRK spy rings. 

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) will co-head the unit with the national police through the end of 2023 before handing it off fully to police next year, the agency said in a press release on Monday.

The NIS has long been the primary investigative body for North Korea spy cases, spearheading enforcement of the Cold War-era National Security Act (NSA) that stipulates punishments for activity deemed pro-Pyongyang. 

But in Dec.