National Security Act Violators Identified Among Prospective Defense Industry Employees

Defense Counterintelligence Command Identifies 18,000 Individuals With Criminal Records or Under Investigation Last Year
Yongwon Yoo: "Stricter Management Needed for Personnel Accessing Military Facilities"

The Defense Counterintelligence Command conducted identity checks on approximately 330,000 individuals last year, including military personnel and civilians entering military units, and identified 18,000 people with criminal records or under investigation. This is the first time that the scale of the command's identity checks and the number of identified persons of interest has been made public.

Status of Identified Persons of Interest Over the Past Three Years and Identity Investigations in 2025. Data Provided by Assemblyman Yongwon Yoo's Office.

According to data submitted by Assemblyman Yongwon Yoo, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, the counterintelligence command conducted identity checks on 330,000 people last year, of which about 7%, or approximately 24,000 individuals, were classified as "persons of interest."

The command regards persons of interest as those with criminal records, those under investigation at the time of the check, or individuals who have been disciplined by the military or a private company.

Of the approximately 24,000 persons of interest identified last year, 18,000—accounting for 75%—had criminal records or were currently under investigation. The remaining 6,000 individuals had other notable issues, such as having been disciplined by the military or a company.

Breaking down the 18,000 individuals with criminal records or under investigation by type of offense: violations of the Road Traffic Act accounted for 53%, making up the majority. Assault and intimidation followed at 15%; financial misconduct, which the command categorizes as counterintelligence-vulnerable crimes, made up 10%; sexual offenses accounted for 4%; gambling and drug-related crimes were 1.6%; public security offenses were 0.1%; and other types accounted for 16.3%. Assemblyman Yoo reported that among civilians frequently entering bases—such as those in construction, supply, and kitchen-related roles—cases of drunk or unlicensed driving, as well as serious crimes like attempted murder and sexual offenses, were confirmed.

In addition, among prospective employees at defense contractors, the prevalence of crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, and breach of trust was higher, reflecting the administrative nature of their work. Some individuals were also identified for violating the National Security Act, making them public security offenders. During the identity check process, 74 individuals who were on the wanted list were identified and their information was referred by the command to the National Investigation Headquarters.

Meanwhile, the proportion of persons of interest among those subjected to identity checks has been gradually increasing. In 2023, approximately 16,000 out of 300,000 (about 5.3%) were classified as persons of interest; in 2024, about 19,000 out of 300,000 (about 6.3%); and last year, 24,000 out of 330,000 (about 7.2%).

Assemblyman Yoo stated, "In particular, for those directly linked to military secrets—such as individuals with security clearance, those operating advanced weaponry, base entrants, and prospective employees of defense contractors—risk factors specific to each job category must be reflected in the checks, and post-investigation management must become even more rigorous."

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