By Jun Ji-hye
A member of an advisory panel for the Ministry of National Defense made inquiries about eavesdropping technology to Italian tech firm Hacking Team (HT), a ministry official confirmed Monday.
The latest revelation adds to the speculation that the defense ministry may have attempted to buy spyware from the Italian firm through the advisor, indentified by his surname, Han.
This follows allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) purchased the firm's spyware through Nanatech, a small Seoul-based firm.
The NIS acknowledged it purchased a program called Remote Control System (RCS), which can spy on PCs and smartphones, from Hacking Team in 2012. Suspicions have grown that the NIS spied on politicians and activists ahead of the presidential election that year.
According to e-mail exchanges with the Italian firm, Han introduced himself as a person tied to the Korean government that was studying technology similar to the company's product.
He added that the Korean government asked him to talk to Hacking Team because it did not want to expose itself.
Han is an expert on information and communications who is now teaching at a university in Seoul. He previously served as a brigade commander of the Defense Intelligence Command.
Regarding the controversy, Han told reporters that his contact with the firm was unrelated to the ministry.
Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said Tuesday, "Han is working as advisory member at the information area at the ministry, but his inquiries to HT did not have a specific correlation with the ministry. As far As I know, it was a personal activity."
A ministry official noted on condition of anonymity that Han was hired by the ministry earlier this year to support its long-term vision, dubbed "creative national defense," under which it plans to employ advanced technology to enhance military capability.
But, the ministry's explanation contradicts what Han wrote in emails to Hacking Team.
Initially, the ministry said in a press release that Han no longer works as one of its advisors. However, hours later, the ministry reversed its statement, saying in fact he is still an advisor.
Last month, the ministry was embroiled in similar controversy after it was discovered that an Army lieutenant colonel surnamed Heo met with an official of the Italian firm, and discussed purchasing the spyware while Heo was in Singapore between March 2 and 5.
At the time, the lieutenant colonel worked at the ministry's task force on cyber security. The reason for his visit to Singapore was to attend 2015 Global Security Asia (GSA), a biennial seminar on cyber and security issues.
The ministry spokesman explained that the HT official was just one of many people the lieutenant colonel met during the GSA.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
A member of an advisory panel for the Ministry of National Defense made inquiries about eavesdropping technology to Italian tech firm Hacking Team (HT), a ministry official confirmed Monday.
The latest revelation adds to the speculation that the defense ministry may have attempted to buy spyware from the Italian firm through the advisor, indentified by his surname, Han.
This follows allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) purchased the firm's spyware through Nanatech, a small Seoul-based firm.
The NIS acknowledged it purchased a program called Remote Control System (RCS), which can spy on PCs and smartphones, from Hacking Team in 2012. Suspicions have grown that the NIS spied on politicians and activists ahead of the presidential election that year.
According to e-mail exchanges with the Italian firm, Han introduced himself as a person tied to the Korean government that was studying technology similar to the company's product.
He added that the Korean government asked him to talk to Hacking Team because it did not want to expose itself.
Han is an expert on information and communications who is now teaching at a university in Seoul. He previously served as a brigade commander of the Defense Intelligence Command.
Regarding the controversy, Han told reporters that his contact with the firm was unrelated to the ministry.
Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said Tuesday, "Han is working as advisory member at the information area at the ministry, but his inquiries to HT did not have a specific correlation with the ministry. As far As I know, it was a personal activity."
A ministry official noted on condition of anonymity that Han was hired by the ministry earlier this year to support its long-term vision, dubbed "creative national defense," under which it plans to employ advanced technology to enhance military capability.
But, the ministry's explanation contradicts what Han wrote in emails to Hacking Team.
Initially, the ministry said in a press release that Han no longer works as one of its advisors. However, hours later, the ministry reversed its statement, saying in fact he is still an advisor.
Last month, the ministry was embroiled in similar controversy after it was discovered that an Army lieutenant colonel surnamed Heo met with an official of the Italian firm, and discussed purchasing the spyware while Heo was in Singapore between March 2 and 5.
At the time, the lieutenant colonel worked at the ministry's task force on cyber security. The reason for his visit to Singapore was to attend 2015 Global Security Asia (GSA), a biennial seminar on cyber and security issues.
The ministry spokesman explained that the HT official was just one of many people the lieutenant colonel met during the GSA.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
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