The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former National Intelligence Service Chief Moon Sang-ho to two years in prison for leaking the names of intelligence agents to civilian Noh Sang-won during the state of emergency on December 3.
On June 26, the court's Criminal Division 26, led by Judge Lee Hyun-kyung, found Moon guilty of leaking military secrets and violating privacy laws. The court ordered Moon to be taken into custody again after his detention period had expired.
Also convicted on similar charges were Kim Bong-kyu, a former head of the Central Newspaper Division, and Jeong Seong-wook, a former commander of the 100th Brigade, who received sentences of 18 months and one year, respectively.
The defendants were accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to form an illegal investigative unit, the Second Investigation Team, to probe allegations of election fraud, leaking the names of about 40 intelligence agents to Noh.
The court acknowledged all charges against them, stating, "Considering that the list was provided to civilian Noh through improper channels, it is recognized that they conspired under the awareness that it involved military secrets." The court also noted, "The defendants disclosed military secrets and personal information to civilian Noh, neglecting their duties under the pretext of following orders from superiors."
However, the court took into account the defendants' long service in the military as a mitigating factor in sentencing.
Previously, the Special Investigation Team for Insurrection, led by Special Prosecutor Jo Eun-seok, requested sentences of five years for each defendant, arguing that they colluded with civilian Noh, who had no authority to access military information, to participate in unconstitutional and illegal actions during the state of emergency, resulting in the leak of military secrets.
In related cases, former Defense Minister Kim was sentenced to three years in the first trial, and Noh, who received the list of intelligence agents, had his two-year sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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