40s Sentenced to 4 Years for Leaking Military Secrets for 700 Million Won in Coins to North Korean Agent
Summary
- A cryptocurrency exchange representative was sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to leak military secrets after receiving cryptocurrency worth 700 million won.
- The court mentioned the violation of the National Security Law, stating that the crime was committed for personal gain.
- Although the leak of military secrets was only attempted, a four-year sentence was decided within the statutory range.
A representative of a cryptocurrency exchange, who was tried for attempting to leak military secrets by contacting an active-duty officer after receiving cryptocurrency worth 700 million won from a person suspected to be a North Korean agent, was sentenced to prison in the first trial.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 24 (Chief Judge Choi Kyung-seo) sentenced Lee Mo (41), who was indicted for violating the National Security Law, to four years in prison and detained him in court on the 17th. The court stated, "The defendant committed a crime that could endanger the entire Republic of Korea in pursuit of personal gain," and "provided equipment to access a system that could reveal the entire military operational system by contacting an active-duty officer."
The court decided the sentence considering that Lee's act of leaking military secrets was an attempt. The court explained, "Fortunately, the active-duty officer rejected the defendant's proposal, and no specific military secrets were detected," and "considering this comprehensively, the sentence was set within the statutory range of at least two years in prison."
Reporter Kwon Yong-hoon fact@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.
