Hard Drive Containing 'Nuriho' Technology Taken... Suspected Technology Leak by KAIST Researchers

Ministry of Science and ICT Files Charges Against 4 KAIST Researchers
Evidence Found of Removing Nuri Rocket Technical Data from Computer

The Ministry of Science and ICT has sparked controversy by requesting a prosecution investigation into some researchers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) who participated in the development of launch vehicles such as Nuriho, suspecting technology leakage.

According to the science and technology community on the 30th, the Ministry of Science and ICT previously requested an investigation into four researchers who were under audit. The case is currently filed with the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office.

At KARI, about 10 researchers have expressed their intention to resign since Jo Gwang-rae, the lead researcher who led the development of Naroho and former director, announced his resignation on the 12th of last month. Some of these individuals are currently under audit by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

It was confirmed that they removed hard drives containing technical information related to the Korean launch vehicle 'Nuriho' from computers at KARI in Daejeon. It was also confirmed that they accessed technical documents excessively during a specific period.

The accused researchers claim that they removed the hard drives to work in their office at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do. They argue that due to the nature of their work, which requires commuting between Daejeon and the Naro Space Center, this has been a customary practice. They also explained that the frequent access to technical documents was simply due to multiple printouts and was for research purposes.

However, the Ministry of Science and ICT stated that they cannot accept the researchers' explanation because the removal of the hard drives and the intensive access to the documents occurred after the successful launch of Nuriho in May of this year. KARI also explained that by using VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access the internal cloud, it is possible to work at both Daejeon and the Naro Space Center without moving hard drives.

An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT Audit Office said, "We plan to disclose the audit investigation results as soon as possible."

Claims of Targeted Audit Amid Concerns Over Mass Resignation

This audit began with an internal report from within KARI. An insider reported suspicious circumstances of technology leakage, and the Ministry of Science and ICT launched the audit on the 13th.

Some have claimed that the audit is a targeted investigation by the Ministry of Science and ICT, fearing a mass resignation of KARI researchers. There are also rumors that KARI has fallen out of favor due to opposing the establishment plan of the Space and Aeronautics Administration and causing organizational restructuring controversies earlier this year.

However, these claims lost credibility as the audit confirmed signs of technology leakage. In particular, it was revealed that despite the increasing cases of government-funded research institute researchers moving to private companies, there are no measures in place to prevent potential technology leakage by these researchers.

A science and technology official stated, "Recently, cases of indictment for technology leakage have significantly increased. Just as high-ranking public officials undergo screening procedures when moving to private companies, guidelines are needed for government-funded research institute researchers for screening suspicious technology leakage and tracking their whereabouts after resignation."

Meanwhile, Hanwha Aerospace, which intended to hire the KARI researchers, has put their recruitment on hold.

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