All Former NIS Officials Guilty in 'Yu Woosung Trial Private Testimony Leak' Case

Former Deputy Director Seo Cheon-ho Sentenced to 1 Year Imprisonment and Taken into Custody

Victim Yoo Woo-sung of the spy fabrication case [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Former senior officials of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who were indicted for leaking confidential testimony related to Yoo Woosung, a victim of the Seoul city government employee espionage fabrication case, were all found guilty in the first trial.

On the 10th, Judge Park Hyunsook of the Criminal Division 22 at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former NIS Deputy Director Seo Cheonho, who was charged with violating the National Intelligence Service Personnel Act, to one year in prison and ordered his immediate detention. Former Counterintelligence Bureau Chief Lee Taehee and former spokesperson Ha Kyungjun, who were charged with the same offense, were each sentenced to 10 months in prison with a two-year probation.

The court stated, "At the time of the crime, the NIS appeared to be in a situation where numerous incidents and accidents related to espionage cases had occurred, making a new turning point urgently necessary. In this context, the testimony of the defector from North Korea was seen as an important circumstantial evidence that Yoo was a spy, and it appears that former Deputy Director Seo established a task force (TF) and conducted a public opinion campaign."

Regarding the sentencing rationale, the court explained, "The NIS is an organization responsible for national security and has a grave duty to keep secrets related to its duties. Since the defendants, who held high-ranking positions, put this at risk, strict punishment is necessary."

Former Deputy Director Seo and others were indicted for leaking the testimony and petition of defector A, a former member of the North Korean State Security Department who appeared as a witness in Yoo's confidential trial in 2013, to certain media outlets.

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