Prison sentences have been requested for top officials in the Moon Jae-in administration accused of directing the disclosure of military operation information to anti-THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) groups. The defendants have denied the charges, asserting that the information was not classified and was intended to reduce conflicts with local residents.
On November 9, during a trial at the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 27, presided over by Judge Woo In-seong, prosecutors sought 10-month prison sentences for Chung Eui-yong, former head of the National Security Office, and Jeong Kyung-doo, former Minister of Defense. They requested a two-year sentence for Seo Joo-seok, former first deputy director of the National Security Office.
The proceedings were held behind closed doors due to concerns about national security.
Chung and Jeong are accused of instructing the head of the Ministry of Defense's regional cooperation team in May 2020 to share military operation information regarding the replacement of missile and radar electronic units with anti-THAAD groups. The investigation team classified this information as a military secret and alleged that the defendants provided it to delay the deployment of THAAD.
Seo is accused of promising to provide operational information to anti-THAAD groups a day in advance and directing the regional cooperation team to share information about the entry of THAAD equipment and construction materials. This occurred eight times: twice while he served as Deputy Minister of Defense in 2018 and six times as first deputy director of the National Security Office from 2020 to 2021.
Seo also faces charges for failing to comply with an order from then-Minister of Defense Song Young-moo in April 2018 regarding the entry of construction materials at the THAAD base, instead negotiating with the opposition groups and ordering the military to withdraw during operations.
The defendants have maintained their innocence since the first hearing, disputing the confidentiality of the information, the intent to leak it, and the validity of the abuse of power charges.
Chung's defense argues that the THAAD deployment operation itself is not classified, and that only the replacement of outdated equipment could be considered sensitive. They contend that there is no specific evidence of Chung's involvement and that he did not perceive the information as classified. They also argue that it does not constitute abuse of power to direct a subordinate to perform a task that was not obligatory.
Seo's defense similarly claims that the information shared was not confidential. They noted that local residents could have been aware of the operational movements approximately two hours before the operation without any formal notification, and that providing accurate information in advance was part of the government's policy to seek cooperation from residents and mitigate conflicts.
Jeong's defense refutes the prosecution's assertion that they attempted to obstruct the operation to prevent THAAD's deployment, citing that the operation was successfully completed.
The defendants were indicted without detention in April of last year. Additionally, the investigation and indictment process is included in the scope of the recently passed 'Special Investigation Law on Manipulated Indictments' by the National Assembly on November 6.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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