Navy Soldier Exposes Ship Location to Chinese Individual

Naval Prosecutor's Office Indicts Navy Soldier for 'Praising North Korea and Leaking Military Secrets'

The Naval Prosecutor's Office has indicted Navy Private A on charges of violating the National Security Act and the Military Criminal Act for producing pro-North Korean Kim Il-sung family and Juche ideology propaganda materials and distributing them within the barracks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Defense Counterintelligence Command on the 19th, Private A enlisted in the Navy in May 2022 and was serving as a crew member at the Naval Fleet Command. Around November 2022, during his leave, he created pro-North Korean propaganda materials by quoting posts from North Korea’s anti-South Korean propaganda internet sites and brought them into the base without permission to distribute them to fellow soldiers.

Subsequently, around December 2022, he distributed the propaganda materials in the restroom of the military welfare center on base. The remaining materials were stored in a locker, but further distribution was prevented by a search and seizure conducted by counterintelligence. Private A also leaked the location of his assigned naval vessel, which is classified military information, to an unidentified Chinese individual via his personal smartphone during maritime operations.

In response, counterintelligence investigated Private A on charges of violating the National Security Act (praising and encouraging the enemy) and the Military Criminal Act (leaking military secrets) and transferred the case to the Naval Prosecutor's Office on April 6. After supplementary investigations to secure details of the crime and additional statements, the Naval Prosecutor's Office indicted him on the 19th.

In April 2022, counterintelligence apprehended an active-duty captain who was recruited by a suspected North Korean hacker and assisted in hacking attempts on the military battlefield network KJCCS in exchange for money, leaking operational plans and other military secrets. In July of the same year, a Navy soldier was indicted for possessing pro-North Korean propaganda materials in the barracks and showing North Korean regime propaganda videos to fellow soldiers. Similar cases have been continuously uncovered and strictly punished.

A counterintelligence official stated, "This incident will serve as an opportunity to thoroughly analyze the ongoing issue of espionage and pro-North Korean activities by active-duty soldiers within the barracks," adding, "We will carry out high-intensity self-purification efforts to foster 'soldiers worthy of being soldiers and a military worthy of being a military.'"

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