[News Today] INTEL AGENT LEAKS SECRETS TO CHINA

[LEAD]
The military prosecution has indicted a Korea Defense Intelligence Command agent for diverting military secrets to China over seven years. This agent, on thirty occasions, leaked military secrets to suspected Chinese intelligence officials, demanded 400 million won, and received 160 million won.

[REPORT]
It was in 2017 when an official at the Korea Defense Intelligence Command who has now been indicted for aiding enemy forces and receiving bribes, was approached by the Chinese side.

Military prosecutors believe that when this official arrived at a Chinese airport for a business trip, he was immediately detained by suspected Chinese security officers.

Then a Korean Chinese person introduced as a Chinese intelligence agent tried to gain leverage over the official by various means including threatening his family's safety. The official then began to leak Korean military secrets that were managed by the Intelligence Command.

According to investigators, when information requested by China could not be obtained, the official offered to present other data he could secure.

The official demanded 400 million won or around 299,000 dollars for leaking secrets over 7 years and received about 160 million won through another person's bank account.

The official took photos and notes of information he stole from the Command and then took them off base to transfer them to China.

Among such leaked info, there was also a partial list of so-called black agents who were operating in China under secret identities. However it's confirmed that information related to human intelligence operatives inside North Korea has not been leaked.

Military prosecutors have decided not to pursue espionage charges due to lack of clear evidence that the leaked info reached North Korea or a North Korean figure was involved in the matter.

Jeon Ha-kyu / Spokesperson, Ministry of Nat'l Defense
Prosecutors and the Defense Counterintelligence Command grilled and indicted the person who leaked secrets on charges of aiding the enemy.

Considering the confidential nature of the case, prosecutors will request the military court to conduct a closed-door trial.

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