[News Today] Military secrets leaked to spy ring

[LEAD]
A Chinese national and an active-duty South Korean soldier were recently arrested for attempting to leak classified military information. KBS obtained the indictment in the case. It reveals that the Chinese national was a field operative in a Chinese spy ring, working under the direction of a Chinese military intelligence officer.

[REPORT]
A Chinese national was indicted under arrest late last month on the charges of violating the Military Secret Protection Act.

He is being accused of approaching active-duty South Korean soldiers five times from May last year to obtain classified military information.

The written arraignment obtained by KBS says the Chinese person was a field operative of a spy ring consisting of at least ten members from China and South Korea.

They include a ringleader and agents in charge of reviewing and pricing classified information, overseeing equipment and money transfer, and in-person contacts for building trust.

The arrested individual was in charge of in-person contacts.

The ring began its spying activities in late 2022.

It has been revealed that prior to coming to Korea, he and the ringleader collected information on anti-China and pro-independence organizations in Taiwan.

The Chinese agents even traveled abroad to oversee a South Korean soldier who was caught for trying to leak classified information and was actively involved.

The soldier asked for a list of military information the spy ring needed and prices. He also demanded protective measures such as certificates issued by the Chinese government.

For handing over classified information, he received 5,000 dollars from the currently detained Chinese suspect in Singapore last November.

The following day, he went to Malaysia to receive another 5,000 dollars from the head of the spy ring.

The Defense Counterintelligence Command has identified all of the nine accomplices and is tracking them down.

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