N. Korean Woman Spy Case Highlights Security Awareness
By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
National Assembly lawmakers sharply criticized what they described as ``lax mentality'' and ``eroding discipline'' found in the Korean military as details from the alleged North Korean spy case continued to emerge.
The Assembly's National Defense Committee held a main session Thursday, offering an opportunity for lawmakers to voice their dissatisfaction. It was also reported Thursday that a trial for the suspected North Korean spy will begin next Wednesday in Suwon, located south of Seoul.
During the Defense Committee meeting, lawmakers argued that the case involving the arrest of suspected spy Won Jeong-Hwa, 34, went beyond a simple case of espionage. The investigation showed that several junior and commissioned military officers were either directly or indirectly implicated in the alleged spy's activities. That indicates that the Korean military officers lacked adequate security awareness, lawmakers charged. Lawmakers from both the governing Grand National Party as well as the main opposition Democratic Party said that the military needs to take steps to boost discipline and security awareness for its officers.
Kim Seung-hwe, a lawmaker from the conservative governing Grand National Party, said that according to one recent media survey, ``the Korean public said our military is the most trustworthy and reliable institution. So how could this take place at such an institution?"
He also noted that military's annual budget currently stands at 28 trillion won, all funded by taxpayers. ``And these military officers were manipulated by one female intelligence agent,'' he said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Kim also argued that the Sunshine Policy and the Peaceful Co-Prosperity Policy of the past liberal administrations contributed to the erosion of security awareness in the country.
Lawmaker Kim Young-woo, also from the governing Grand National Party, criticized the lax security measures at military installations and noted the fact that the suspect was allowed to give lectures on North Korea to military personnel.
Suh Jong-pyo from the main opposition Democratic Party said the internal investigation, which first began in May 2005, did not discover the security breach nearly soon enough.
``If the Defense Security Command and the police couldn't uncover this case until now, this means there is a serious flaw in the way these types of investigations are conducted.''
Suh added: ``I understand the North Korean spy gave some 50 lectures at various military bases beginning in 2006 until May 2007. I have questions about whether her speeches were properly monitored and analyzed.''
Another National Assembly member Suh Chung-won said that during the past four years, there were 2729 cases that involved a possible breach in national security measures, Yonhap reported. Among them, only 62 cases went to trial while the vast majority received warnings or light suspended rulings.
The alleged North Korean spy, Won Jeong-Hwa, was arrested last week. The suspect was recruited by the North's intelligence agency in 1998 according to Korean reports. Won settled in South Korea in 2001 posing as a defector and has allegedly collected confidential security information from military officers.