South Korean Military Doubles Down On Internal Bad Actors

A South Korean investigation into soldiers allegedly using their military passwords as collateral for loans to purchase cryptocurrency has revealed 29 additional incidents of compromised military secrets.

Among these is a case involving a captain who transmitted confidential documents regarding the wartime missions of a special forces brigade. According to TVChosun, the captain shared this sensitive information with someone who then sent crypto assets valued at approximately $35,700 in return.

Previously, South Korean regulators engaged in discussions with officials representing ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the OECD regarding cryptocurrency policy in Seoul on March 18th, 2024.

Damage Control

Previously reported findings indicated that at least three active-duty soldiers this year provided Level 3 military passwords and secret documents to loan sharks to invest in crypto or settle crypto investment debts. Earlier this month, the Ministry of National Defense disclosed that a court handed down a suspended jail sentence to one captain, leading to his discharge.

Several other soldiers are suspected of similar actions, and prosecutors have charged three loan sharks for accepting military secrets in exchange for illegal cash loans. The ensuing controversy has prompted legislative involvement. Kang Dae-sik, a member of the National Assembly Defense Committee, claims that as of October 6th, acting soldiers have leaked secrets on 29 separate occasions since 2021.

Attitude Adjustment

The ministry recorded six incidents in 2021, eight in both 2022 and 2023, and seven cases up until July 2024. One case in 2021 also involved a captain trading military secrets for money, while another instance saw a captain take photos of a Korean Joint Command and Control System terminal with his cellphone and send them to an unnamed recipient via the Telegram app.

The findings also include examples of senior soldiers selling information to private defense firms for cash, as well as a soldier who sold copies of a top-secret military manual. Some incidents stemmed due to a lax attitude toward security. In one case, a soldier sent videos of secret military equipment to his girlfriend using the KakaoTalk app, claiming he wanted to share his daily life in the army with her.