Former Intelligence Chief Moon Sang-ho Faces Five-Year Sentence for Leaking Agent List

by Eun-mi. Won Posted : May 15, 2026, 14:14Updated : May 15, 2026, 14:14
Former Intelligence Command Chief Moon Sang-ho responds to questions about the deployment of military personnel by the Election Commission during a Defense Committee meeting on December 10, 2024.
Former Intelligence Command Chief Moon Sang-ho responds to questions about the deployment of military personnel by the Election Commission during a Defense Committee meeting on December 10, 2024. [Photo=Yonhap News]

The Insurrection Special Prosecutor's team, led by Cho Eun-seok, has requested a five-year prison sentence for former Intelligence Command Chief Moon Sang-ho for allegedly leaking the names of intelligence agents during the martial law declared on December 3.

During a sentencing hearing on May 15 at the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Hyun-kyung, the prosecution argued for the sentence based on charges of military secret leakage and violations of the Personal Information Protection Act.

The prosecution also sought five-year sentences for Kim Bong-kyu, a former head of the Central Newspaper Division (Colonel), and Jeong Seong-wook, a former head of the 100th Brigade's Second Business Division (Colonel), on similar charges.

The prosecution stated, "The defendants colluded with civilian Noh Sang-won, a former Intelligence Command Chief, who had no authority to access military information, to participate in the unconstitutional and illegal enforcement of martial law, leading to the leak of military secrets, specifically the list of intelligence agents. The exposure of this list poses a significant risk, as it could make agents direct targets for terrorist groups."

They further emphasized, "The defendants were aware that the personal information of agents constituted military secrets and that leaking this information could lead to catastrophic consequences. They neglected their duties and used their subordinates as tools for power rather than protecting them, thereby undermining the foundations of democracy and the rule of law."

The prosecution noted that the leaked list was utilized in the formation of the Second Investigation Team, which was created to investigate allegations of election fraud, immediately following the declaration of martial law. They stressed the need for severe accountability.

The prosecution explained that the requested sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and the defendants' lack of remorse.

Moon Sang-ho and others are accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to leak personal information, including the names of approximately 40 intelligence agents, to Noh Sang-won in order to establish an unofficial organization, the Second Investigation Team, to investigate election fraud allegations.

Previously, the prosecution had also sought a five-year sentence for former Minister Kim on the same charges.

Noh Sang-won, who allegedly received the list of intelligence agents from Kim, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court.



* This article has been translated by AI.