South Korea claims Chinese operative recruited official selling secrets to Beijing

By Anadolu Staff

South Korean military prosecutors claimed on Wednesday that a military intelligence official, recently accused of selling military secrets, was recruited by a suspected Chinese operative in 2017.

The official, who was indicted this week by the Defense Intelligence Command on charges of aiding the enemy, accepting bribes, and violating the Military Secret Protection Act, is alleged to have leaked sensitive information, including a list of undercover agents, in exchange for money, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

Earlier this month, the South Korean Defense Ministry announced the arrest of a civilian employee in connection with selling confidential information about spies operating abroad.

The military prosecutor revealed that the official was detained in 2017 at an airport in Yanji, China, where he had traveled to meet with his contacts. During his detention, he was reportedly offered a position by the suspected Chinese intelligence agent, which he accepted.

The official is said to have demanded 400 million won ($299,000) from Chinese sources and received approximately 160 million won in total, according to the report.

So far, there has been no response from Beijing regarding Seoul's claims.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid