Submarine Secrets Stolen: The Shocking ‘Execution Trial’ That’s Making Waves

Submarine “Jang Bogo-III” built by Hanwha Ocean. Provided by Hanwha Ocean

As public opinion increasingly criticizes the disregard for military discipline in the case of military leaders handing over level 3 “secret passwords” to private loan sharks as collateral, it has been revealed that the most recent cases of similar leaks of military secrets have received suspended sentences. It is emphasized that the “soft club punishment” increases military discipline.

● “Not guilty” of stealing military secrets for corporate profit

On the 25th, Dong-A Ilbo team analyzed 15 judgments that could be found in the Supreme Court’s judgment search system and the court library among the cases where judgments were issued for violation of the Military Secrets Protection Law from 2019 to the last month. As a result, only two sentences were imposed. Most of them were suspended sentences (11) and acquittals (2).

Six employees of a defense company that produces and supplies ammunition have been found not guilty in a case in which they stole secrets related to the use of ammunition by the South Korean military for the company’s benefit. The reason for the decision was that “the report was not confidential in a way that would cause a national security crisis, and it was not for personal financial purposes because the report was published only within the company.”

There have also been cases where passwords have been leaked but sentences have only been suspended. In February 2022, Mr. A, a civilian and former army sergeant, called the unit where he worked while drinking with acquaintances, discovered the secret code and leaked it to his acquaintances, but was sentenced to probation.

All four cases of stealing sensitive information on military weapons technology, including the domestic submarine “Jang Bogo-III”, have been suspended. It was taken into account that he admitted the crime and cooperated with the investigation.

A bird’s eye view of the Korean Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX). Provided by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

●Most of the leakers are former or current military personnel and defense industry employees.

Most of those prosecuted on charges of violating the Military Intelligence Protection Act were former or current soldiers or employees of defense companies.

Of the 15 cases analyzed by the reporting group, in 7 cases the defendants were current and former soldiers, and in 6 cases the defendants were representatives and employees of defense industry companies. In the remaining two cases, the perpetrators were former employees of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and police officers.

The former soldiers mainly stole information they had during their service or leaked information through acquaintances they knew during their military service.

In 2016, an officer belonging to the Intelligence Command leaked a classified Level 2 document to the outside world in order to boast about his military career.

A former naval brigadier general who worked as a university professor stole classified information, including North Korea’s military system and units’ combat capabilities, from a military acquaintance and used it for personal research.

In the case of defense industry employees, the primary motive for the crime was pressure to outperform the competition.

Nine employees of the Special Naval Division of National Defense Company B decided to steal information about the Korean Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX), saying, “It seems that our competitors have obtained the information, but we don’t know it yet.” As a result, in 2013, some of the employees in question went to a colonel’s office at the Navy headquarters, secretly took photos of documents as the colonel left the office, and posted them on the company’s internal network. All of these employees were sentenced to probation.

At another defense company C, an employee entered the military office on the instructions of the company representative and secretly filmed a technical service report with a cell phone.

Experts point out that the court’s soft punishment is increasing lax discipline, including leaks of classified information. Yoo Dong-yeol, head of the Liberal Democratic Institute, said: “Recent leaks of military secrets, such as the cancer protection incident, are examples that show problems with military discipline. We are strengthening the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s audit function to ensure that former soldiers and defense industry employees are “We must actively prevent information leaks,” he said.