Cheong Wa Dae Security Leak Identified

A presidential office administrator identified as Lee, who worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was the informant who leaked the minutes of a meeting on strategic flexibility drawn up by the National Security Council (NSC), according to Cheong Wa Dae yesterday.

Controversy over the leak broke after ruling Uri Party lawmaker Choi Jae-cheon revealed the contents of the minutes on February 1.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Man-soo said, “Lee gave an entire picture of the leak scandal early this week. Cheong Wa Dae will ask the Foreign Ministry to take disciplinary action.”

According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee met a former presidential office administrator and Choi, with whom he had been acquainted, at a hotel in Seoul late last month. When the issue of strategic flexibility became the topic of the conversation, he showed the two the NSC meeting minutes from December 29, 2005.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said, “Choi, who thought that the minutes were important, copied them. I did not stop him because I thought that Choi would just use it as a reference without unveiling it.”

According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee received the minutes from another presidential office administrator identified as Lee on January 23 because he wanted to use them for his work.

Kim denied Lee’s intentional leak, saying, “Lee said that he showed it to them when the issue of strategic flexibility was brought up in their conversation because he had it there.”

Regarding whether Choi will be punished, Kim said, “Cheong Wa Dae will inform the ruling party leadership of its investigation results.” When asked who would take responsibility for the scandal within the presidential office, Kim said, “Cheong Wa Dae will decide this after a review.”

In a telephone interview with Dong-A Ilbo, Lee said, “Cheong Wa Dae announced the whole thing. The scandal occurred quite accidentally. I thought that Choi would take issue with the minutes at the National Assembly. Although I did not give the minutes to Choi, my action was not proper, and I am ready to face the music as a government official.”

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com