South Korean actor Hyun Bin has a new role, this time in real life. He was recently appointed as an honorary counterintelligence agent by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the agency working against espionage, terrorism, and threats against South Korea.
Hyun Bin’s South Korean agency VAST Entertainment officially confirmed the news of the actor’s appointment on their social media page.
“Hyun Bin to be 'Honorary Counterintelligence Agent' of the National Information Agency
We have been commissioned!
Will be with the National Intelligence Service from now on.
In the activity of officer of honor Hyun Bin
I'm asking for your attention 😎,” said in the translated post by Instagram.
Last Tuesday, April 7, Hyun Bin was reportedly enlisted by the South Korean agency to help the public better understand the meaning and importance of counterintelligence, which was previously considered to involve only arresting North Korean spies.
“The National Intelligence Service Agency appointed actor Hyun Bin as an 'honorary counterintelligence agent' on April 7. This meeting was created to inform the people about the exact concept and its importance of 'counterintelligence,'” said in the post.
According to the NIS, the move came after South Korea’s Criminal Act revision last February that expanded the scope of espionage crimes "from enemy country to foreign countries,” protecting South Korea “from increased foreign spying acts not only in North Korea.”
The agency further added, “Counterintelligence is more than just spying; it means any response activity to find and curb foreign intelligence activities that are against national security and national interests.”
As part of his new role, Hyun Bin is expected to work with NIS on public awareness campaigns and take part in promotional efforts tied to counterintelligence policies, according to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily.
The agency also emphasized the importance of its campaign, citing: “Recently, cases threatening national survival, such as the leak of advanced technology and defense industry secrets by foreign entities, have been occurring frequently.”
“In the future, together with 'Honorary Counterintelligence agent' Hyun Bin will actively meet the expectations of the people through activities without corruption in counterintelligence, after 'revisioning the spying crime,'” they added.
Being named as an honorary agent brought excitement to fans as Hyun Bin previously portrayed an NIS agent who worked alongside a diplomat to rescue South Korean hostages from a militant group in the Middle East. in the 2023 film The Point Men.
Hyun Bin, whose real name is Kim Tae-pyung, debuted in 2003 and became known for his hit Korean series and films such as My Lovely Sam-soon (2005), Secret Garden (2010), The Fatal Encounter (2014), Confidential Assignment (2017), Memories of the Alhambra (2018), and Crash Landing on You (2019). Recently, he starred in Disney+'s original series Made in Korea to be released this year,