New Nat`l Security Office to operate 3 pillars of crisis mgmt.

The newly established National Security Office under the president will operate the three pillars of crisis management, information convergence and international cooperation secretaries.

The senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security will also serve as deputy chief of the national security office, which allows him or her coordinate work of both organizations.

According to government sources Sunday, the National Security Office that will serve as the central command of the Park Geun-hye administration is composed of three secretary offices, which handle key pending issues in foreign affairs and national security.

The presidential transition committee initially considered operating four secretary offices, including one in charge of “mid to long-term strategy and policy coordination,” but decided to give these roles to the secretary offices of international cooperation and information convergence.

The crisis management secretary office under the National Security Office will supervise the handling of emergency situations, including North Korea’s nuclear tests, missile launches and provocations, as well as national disasters including terrorist attacks.

The information convergence secretary office will take charge of collection, analysis and compiling of diverse information in foreign affairs and national security, while the international cooperation secretary office will handle consultation and coordination of key issues in foreign affairs vis-à-vis neighboring countries.

The work of the international cooperation secretary office is known to have been defined by the situation of the nation facing more global issues requiring consultation with major countries, as well as the need to strike the right balance to ensure that the National Security Office will not be biased toward national security work focused on national defense.

The head of the security office, a minister-level position, will serve as chief secretary of the National Security Council, which involves all ministers related to diplomacy and national security.

Separately, the office of the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security under the chief of staff will comprise the offices of the secretaries for foreign affairs, national defense and reunification.

A Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry source said, “The National Security Office will take charge of handling major issues in foreign affairs and national security, including mid- to long-term strategy and policy coordination, while the office of foreign affairs and national security will handle day-to-day affairs in the field.”

Analysts say the dual appointment of the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security as vice chief of the National Security Office is designed to form a linkage for work coordination and information exchange between the former and the latter. The action was taken due to the fear that unless the two bodies are interconnected in whatever form, it could hamper speedy processing and efficiency of work, as the chain of command can be diffused and work boundaries can overlap.

lightee@donga.com