A South Korean probe into soldiers who reportedly used their military passwords as loan collateral to buy crypto has unveiled 29 further cases of compromised armed forces secrets. These cases include a captain who sent confidential documents about the wartime missions of a special forces brigade in exchange for cryptocurrency. Prosecutors believe at least three serving soldiers this year handed over military passwords and secret documents to loan sharks to invest in crypto or pay off crypto investment debts. The Ministry of National Defense revealed that a court had given a captain a suspended jail sentence and discharged him from the army, with several other soldiers suspected of similar actions.
Lawmakers have become involved in response to the controversy, with an MP compiling data from the ministry showing that acting soldiers have leaked secrets on 29 separate occasions since 2021. The ministry reported cases in 2021, 2022, 2023, and seven cases through July 2024. Instances include a captain exchanging military secrets for money, taking photos of a Korean Joint Command and Control System terminal and sending them to an unnamed recipient using the Telegram chat app. The data also reveals instances of senior soldiers selling data to private defense companies for cash and a soldier selling copies of a top-secret military manual.
Some of the cases were attributed to a lax attitude towards security within the military. For example, one soldier sent videos of secret military equipment to his girlfriend via the KakaoTalk app, claiming he only wanted to show her what his daily life in the army was like. This breach of security has led to the indictment of three loan sharks for accepting military secrets in exchange for illegal cash loans. The controversy surrounding these cases has prompted President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to agree on South Korea’s increased participation in the Southeast Asian country’s efforts to boost military readiness, build infrastructure, and introduce nuclear energy.
