Today, the 11th Criminal Division of the Daegu District Court in South Korea, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Jong Gil, handed down a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, to a 22-year-old man for stealing military secrets. This decision follows his violation of the Military Secret Protection Act by trespassing into a military-restricted area.
The young man’s father, aged 53, was also sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for obstructing official duties.
The son was found guilty of trespassing into the Naval Operations Command medical office nine times over two months, beginning in March 2022. During these incursions, he stole a Level 3 military secret encryption module from an electronic door lock drawer and concealed it in his living quarters.
Both the son and his father were charged with assault and making derogatory remarks towards Army Counterintelligence Command investigators. These investigators had executed a search warrant in October 2022 about the Military Secrets Protection Act violations.
The son had enlisted in the Navy Education Command in August 2021 and completed basic training. He initially served as a medic on a ship within the Naval Operations Command in Jeju but was later reassigned to the medical office at the Naval Operations Command in Busan due to difficulties adapting to ship duties. In August 2022, he was assessed as unsuitable for military service and received an honorable discharge.
The court emphasized the gravity of the theft, noting, “The military equipment stolen contained core technology crucial to the state and military encryption systems, and its leakage could severely endanger national security.” The court also pointed out that the offender had kept the stolen military equipment hidden in his living quarters for a long time and had damaged some components, showcasing poor conduct.
