President Park Geun-hye named all three deputy chiefs at South Korea's main intelligence agency on Friday, tapping a North Korea expert to take charge of affairs concerning the communist country, the presidential office said.

Han Ki-beom, a visiting professor of North Korean studies at Seoul's Korea University, was named first deputy chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), while Suh Cheon-ho, a former senior police official and former president of the Korean National Police University, was appointed second deputy chief, according to presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung.

The president also tapped Kim Kyu-seok, a former military officer, as third deputy chief in charge of cyber, communications and science information.

The first deputy chief of the NIS takes care of the agency's operations related to North Korea and foreign countries, while the second deputy chief handles anti-communist, anti-terrorism, anti-espionage and other domestic operations.

Meanwhile, Lee Heon-su, a former NIS official, was named head of the agency's office of planning and coordination, while Lee Eun-cheol, an emeritus professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University, was appointed to head the state Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the spokesman said. (Yonhap News)