Exterior of the National Security Agency (NSA) building. VOA File Photo

Ha Bong-kyu, Professor Emeritus at Pukyong National University and Director of the UN Research InstituteThe National Security Agency (NSA) of the U.S. Department of Defense is representative of the intelligence agency specializing in signals (cryptography) intelligence and technical intelligence. Signals intelligence forms one axis with imagery intelligence and is divided into Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT). 

Communications intelligence is the field of eavesdropping and wiretapping a wide range of electronic information, including telephone communications, modems, fax transmissions, and radio broadcasts related to governments, corporations, and individuals of various countries. On the other hand, electronic intelligence is the field of collecting and recording information generated by non-communication electronic electronic wireless devices from overseas countries. 

The NSA, headquartered in Fort Meade, Maryland, is a large-scale facility covering 650 acres with a 7 million square foot building, including over 400 of its own police officers, a power plant, a printing plant, and even a factory for manufacturing computer chips for the agency's own computers. 

As of 2020, it is also the largest employer in Maryland, comprising 38,000 highly skilled technicians. 

The main unit of the NSA is the CSS (Central Security Service), which deciphers information collected from foreign countries while simultaneously overseeing communication and information security within the United States, including the CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, and Department of State. 

The NSA operates a global empire, including eavesdropping devices on aircraft, ships, and satellites worldwide (which are operated under contract by the NRO), as well as ground bases in West Virginia, Washington state, and Alaska. 

Additionally, the NSA maintains over 50 bases in approximately 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and Germany, and operates dozens of specialized devices centered around U.S. embassies abroad. 

The primary role of the NSA is the collection and analysis of intercepted information from overseas communication media. A vast amount of information is collected by the NSA's numerous intelligence systems. Subsequently, the NSA can accurately set targets. 

The NSA can intensely focus on specific countries and search through global communication intercepts for specific names, words, or phrases. 

When requested by the NSA, CIA, Department of Defense, or other agencies, specific names or words are converted and managed on the NSA's "watchlist" or "dictionary." 

The NSA gained global attention not only through the James Bond movie series and Hollywood films but also due to the ECHELON project and the eavesdropping incident involving the German Chancellor. 

The former refers to the issue of internet, telephone, and fax eavesdropping worldwide, led by the five countries of the so-called "Five Eyes" (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) since the 1950s, and the latter is the incident where the eavesdropping of German Chancellor Merkel (2019) was exposed, escalating into an international diplomatic issue. 

There have also been incidents targeting South Korea. In the past, suspicions were raised that the NSA included South Korea as a key surveillance target and collected information from facilities such as the South Korean embassy. 

In South Korea, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which is responsible for protecting national secrets and important facilities, and for foreign intelligence gathering, performs a similar role to the NSA.

Professor Emeritus at Pukyong National University and Director of the UN Research Institute