Chosun Ilbo, 5 June 2010
A two-star Army general is in custody on suspicion of leaking
military secrets to North Korea. The man is the first active-duty
general arrested on spying charges in decades.
A government official on Thursday said the general is “under
investigation by the Defense Security Command and the National
Intelligence Service. He was arrested on charges of handing
military operational plans and field manuals over to the North
through a third person for several years.”
The inquiry now focuses on whether there are more connected
moles working in the military, the official added. He “was regarded
as an outstanding officer and was thought to be in line for
promotion to Army corps leader.”
The general was reportedly recruited by the North during the Roh
Moo-hyun administration through a junior officer who was placed on
the reserve list in 1997 after he was found to be involved in what
became known as “Heukgemseong” case.
The case was one of several campaigns orchestrated by the Agency
for National Security Planning, the NIS’s predecessor, to engineer
the defeat of Kim Dae-jung in the presidential election in
1997.
After being discharged from the active service, the junior
officer frequently traveled to North Korea and China on business
and is suspected of having delivered military secrets which he
received from the general. He is also being
interrogated.
“Nobody can rule out that important military secrets about the
movement of Navy ships were leaked to the North that led to the
sinking of the corvette Cheonan in March,” the official said.
“We’re drastically boosting security alertness inside the military
to establish discipline.” – Chosun Ilbo