The Japanese prime minister’s office in Tokyo. Japan will launch the Cabinet-level National Intelligence Bureau on July 31. Photo by Asia Today
July 24 (Asia Today) -- Japan will launch a new intelligence bureau under the prime minister's office July 31, concentrating the government's assessments of North Korean missile threats, cyberattacks and Chinese economic pressure more closely within the Cabinet.
For South Korea, the important development is not simply the creation of another Japanese intelligence organization.
The National Intelligence Bureau could become a central point of coordination for South Korean intelligence, diplomatic and defense officials working with Japan.
South Korea, the United States and Japan have shared North Korean missile warning data in real time since December 2023. Japan's new bureau is expected to integrate information from government agencies and connect intelligence assessments more directly to decisions by the prime minister.
