Sharing 'Level 3 Secret' Code Words via KakaoTalk in Army Frontline Unit

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu]It was belatedly revealed that soldiers in an Army frontline unit shared a Level 3 secret codeword (a predetermined phrase for friend-or-foe identification) via KakaoTalk.

According to the Defense Security Work Directive, codewords classified as Level 3 secrets are changed daily in word format and cannot be transmitted by phone. If leaked, they are immediately discarded and new codewords are created, emphasizing strict security.

On the 23rd, the Army reported that Private First Class Lee Mo (21) from a unit in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, asked for the day's codeword response in a group KakaoTalk chatroom of his peers before returning from leave on February 2, and one peer provided the response.

When Private Lee spoke the codeword response while passing through the guard post around 8:50 p.m. on February 2, the guard on duty found it suspicious and reported it to superiors.

In response, the security support unit conducted a digital forensic investigation of the mobile phones and examined the members of the group KakaoTalk chatroom. The investigation found no other security leaks besides the codeword response leak on that day.

The unit disciplined two soldiers, including Private Lee, with 15 days of restriction under the "Disciplinary Measures for Violation of Soldier Mobile Phone Use." The unit also conducted security training for all soldiers.

The revised regulation on February 28 mandates penalties such as demotion or confinement for security leaks, but since the incident occurred before the revision on February 1, the soldiers received restriction punishment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.