Chinese national arrested for spying on Korean military

A Chinese national has been arrested for luring active-duty South Korean soldiers with cash in exchange for classified military information. Authorities say the suspect infiltrated open chat rooms used by soldiers, posing as a fellow serviceman to extract sensitive information. A South Korean Army soldier who shared restricted data, including details on South Korea-U.S. joint drills, via the military intranet has also been arrested.

According to multiple government sources on Tuesday, South Korea’s Defense Counterintelligence Command arrested a Chinese national on Jeju Island on March 29. He is being investigated for violating the Military Secrets Protection Act. Acting as a field operative for a spy ring that collects South Korean military intelligence, the arrested Chinese had traveled to Jeju to deliver payment to a soldier who had been leaking classified information. The soldier was actually an intelligence agent feeding false information as part of a sting operation.

The person is currently held in a detention cell at a police station in Seoul and is under ongoing investigation. Authorities have seized his laptop and phone, focusing on identifying the full scope of classified data leaks, uncovering the spy ring’s operations in China, and locating accomplices within South Korea.

The Chinese spy ring began infiltrating open chat rooms used by active-duty personnel and officer applicants in early 2024. Posing as soldiers, they engaged in casual conversation to build trust, then initiated one-on-one chats offering cash or other compensation in exchange for military secrets.

A South Korean soldier in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, allegedly cooperated with the spy network. He smuggled a spy camera into his base and repeatedly sent internal documents, such as the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise plans from the military intranet, to the spy. Authorities believe the soldier likely received financial compensation for the leaks and are investigating further. He reportedly smuggled an unauthorized phone onto the base to photograph the documents. While the shared information has not yet been confirmed as classified, investigators suspect more personnel may have been engaged.

Authorities are also examining whether the spy ring is connected to the Chinese government. During conversations with targeted soldiers, the network’s ringleader reportedly claimed to be affiliated with the Chinese military. Investigators believe the ring is based in China and orchestrates the operation of agents like the arrested Chinese in Jeju from abroad. The ringleader is also estimated to be in China.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and military counterintelligence units have also obtained evidence suggesting the spy ring used ethnic Chinese residents in South Korea to deliver payments. A full-scale investigation into these individuals is expected to begin soon.

Amid growing security concerns, some officials are calling for an expansion of espionage laws. They argue that the definition of “enemy state” should extend beyond North Korea to include other nations like China, citing recent incidents such as a Chinese national caught photographing the NIS headquarters last November.


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com