By Jun Ji-hye
Military investigators summoned the CEO of a company Wednesday after he revealed he had kept a copy of a blueprint for a newly built Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) building protected against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons.
Chung Soo-jin, CEO of Yes INC. said he would fully cooperate with the investigation bureau of the Ministry of National Defense.
The bureau said it will decide on whether to mount an official investigation into whether the blueprint was leaked after interviewing Chung.
His company has been constructing EMP proof facilities for the ministry and he earlier notified the ministry that he had the document.
Investigators have to determine whether the blueprint can be categorized as a military secret. The bureau plans to compare Chung’s blueprint with one stored at the ministry.
The summons came a day after the ministry was accused of negligence for failing to collect the blueprint that had allegedly been in the possession of the company for years.
In 2008, the ministry asked Yes INC. to design protective facilities capable of blocking EMPs for the new office building. Such facilities have become essential these days due to mounting threats of EMP bombs that render electronic equipment useless.
The blueprint drawn up by Yes, INC. shows the structure of the command and control center as well as facilities to prevent electronic eavesdropping.
However, the ministry signed a subcontract with another company to provide the EMP defense installations; but failed to take the existing blueprint from Chung’s company.
When asked why the ministry did nothing, spokesman Kim Min-seok said, “There were no legal grounds to inspect the private companies.”
It now faces criticism that it overlooked a dangerous situation, although it was aware of the situation. In 2012, the Defense Security Command conducted an investigation and advised the ministry to collect the blueprint from the company at the earliest possible date. In addition, Chung notified the ministry twice that he had the document in his possession.
Rep. Kim Jae-won of the ruling Saenuri Party said, “A ministry statement made in 2012 that it collected all material regarding the construction of the JCS building office has proven to be false.”
The lawmaker also claimed that the ministry did not have the legal right to Chung’s blueprint as it did not pay him, although it used his blueprint in the construction.
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