A South Korean Navy soldier has been caught selling military secrets.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that a Navy servicemember provided confidential information about South Korea-U.S. and South Korea-Australia joint military exercises to China. In return, the individual received about 10.5 million KRW (approximately 7,730 USD)
According to a military court ruling revealed by Representative Kang Dae Sik of the People Power Party, the Navy servicemember involved was sentenced to one year in prison last month for violating the Military Criminal Act by leaking these secrets.
Another Navy servicemember who assisted with this breach has been discharged from the military and is now facing trial in a civilian court.
In November 2023, a South Korean Navy servicemember concealed pages from U.S. military manuals, documents related to the South Korea-Australia joint exercise Haedoli-Wallaby, and materials about U.S.-South Korea humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) training inside a military backpack.
The service member then took photos of these documents and sent them to an accomplice via KakaoTalk. On five occasions, the accomplice subsequently leaked the information to a Chinese contact through messaging apps like WeChat and Telegram.
The two individuals received $7,730 in three separate payments for their involvement.
A military official commented, “Had this information reached China, they could have anticipated our training activities and deployed surveillance assets accordingly.”
In its initial ruling, the military court highlighted that this case shows the South Korean military’s reliance on translated U.S. manuals for developing doctrine and poses a significant risk of exposing the Navy’s strategies, tactics, and future development plans.
The court also pointed out that the Chinese individual who received the leaked information from the Navy servicemember is likely part of a network that collects South Korean military data with malicious intent.
Before joining the Navy, the servicemember studied in Guangzhou, China, where he may have established contacts with Chinese nationals; however, it has not been confirmed whether this Chinese contact has any ties to North Korea.
In a related development, the National Intelligence Service is reportedly investigating a professor at the Naval Academy, who is currently a colonel, over allegations of leaking information about new unmanned surface vessels.
A Naval Academy professor, currently a colonel, is accused of leaking confidential information to a specific defense contractor, including details about the unmanned surface vessel operational concept. Authorities have searched and seized items from his residence. This operational concept could potentially be an advantage for defense contractors in future design project bids.
Kang emphasized, “While we strive to enhance our defense capabilities, it’s equally crucial to strengthen our counterintelligence efforts, as security is the cornerstone of our national defense.”
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