Four NIS officials caught in Australia for espionage

By Nam Hyun-woo

Four Korean spies have been caught in Australia for contacting an agricultural public servant in Canberra with the intention of obtaining trade secrets.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Federal Court of Australia revealed that agents from Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) had engaged in espionage activities “to obtain sensitive information” on trade negotiations between Seoul and Canberra.

The alleged South Korean spies have not been expelled from Australia, but the court released the identities of the four who have been operating under diplomatic cover in Canberra.

In 2010, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) discovered a senior Australian agricultural specialist, Yeon Kim, had been meeting a senior NIS officer. Kim participated in free trade agreement negotiations between Korea and Australia.

ASIO later accused Kim of leaking sensitive information to the NIS officer.

He was subsequently fired from his position at the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences as a consequence of his alleged action. Kim filed a suit against his dismissal.

During the court proceedings, Australian authorities, including ASIO Director-General David Irvine, warned that any disclosure of the NIS’ activities would cause a “detrimental impact” on relations between the two countries and could also potentially hurt Australia’s national security.

Korea’s NIS declined to comment on the report.