The CIA symbol is shown on the floor of its headquarters in Langley, Virginia. / Korea Times file



By Lee Han-soo

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said Wednesday it has created a special unit to counter North Korea's nuclear threat.

The Korea Mission Center will gather intelligence on North Korea's nuclear arsenal and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

The new office's operation will be based on cooperation between agency departments in charge of analysis, operations and cyber intelligence.

The creation of the new task force is reportedly related to rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea and strong speculation that the reclusive nuclear-armed state's sixth nuclear test is imminent.

"Just as the threat facing the U.S. is dynamic, the CIA must also evolve to properly solve it," CIA spokesman Jonathan Liu said.

CIA director Mike Pompeo said: "The creation of the Korea Mission Center allows the CIA to have more joint and direct control in addressing North Korea's serious threats to the U.S. and its allies."

The mission center is the first the CIA has created to focus on a specific country and the second intelligence gathering unit in a month for the U.S., following the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) announcement on May 7 that it will create a human intelligence unit known as HUMINT.

HUMINT is expected to be launched in October under the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade of the Eighth U.S. Army. It will be in charge of gathering intelligence on North Korea.